Donald Trump, the Republican candidate for US president in the upcoming November election, has tapped JD Vance as his running mate.
The announcement was made on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday evening.
James David “JD” Vance is currently the Republican senator from Ohio. He was elected in 2022 to replace the retiring GOP Senator Rob Portman.
After graduating from high school, Vance enlisted in the US Marine Corps and served as a combat correspondent with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, on deployment in Iraq.
He later got a law degree from Yale, but gained national attention for his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, in which he wrote about his childhood and the family values of Appalachian Americans. The Washington Post called him the “voice of the Rust Belt,” referring to the former industrial heartland of America that fell victim to the economic realities of globalization.
Vance had been a critic of Trump in 2016 but has since embraced his populist agenda and received Trump’s endorsement for the Senate race.
“Look, I was wrong about Donald Trump,” Vance told Fox News last month. “I didn’t think he was going to be a good president. He was a great president, and it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”
Vance has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s agenda in the Senate, as well as a critic of US funding for Ukraine, among other things.
Two other rumored running-mate picks have endorsed Trump’s choice of Vance, with former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard calling it “a good choice.”
“So proud of my friend, classmate, and fellow southwest Ohioan today,” said Vivek Ramaswamy. “He’ll be an outstanding Vice President and I look forward to everything ahead for him and for our country.”
Trump made the VP announcement while the convention roll call was still going on, just minutes after he got enough delegates to make him the official nominee. His children Eric, Donald Jr. and Tiffany announced the Florida delegates that put Trump “over the top.”
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