On Monday, former President Donald Trump chose Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his Vice Presidential running mate for 2024.
- The Senator was one of several names speculated to be chosen by Trump, who is now the official candidate of the Republican party. The announcement was made on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum were also on the shortlist for VP, but as the day went on, they were advised they were not chosen for the job, reports say.
- The decision comes days after Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt during a Butler, Pennsylvania rally on Saturday, which has irrevocably changed the political atmosphere ahead of Election Day.
The conversation: Trump’s choice was also announced on Truth Social, where he painted Vance as a veteran and businessman.
- “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,” said Trump via the social media platform.
- “J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association. J.D.’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country,” he said.
- “J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond,” he continued.
Why it matters: Political analysts see Vance as a much younger partner who might appeal to White voters, especially in critical Midwest battlegrounds. The candidate is anything but pro-White, however.
- Vance comes off as a convincing “America First” populist ideologically aligned with Trump, who could energize the base. At 39, he would be one of the youngest Vice Presidents in US history if elected. He is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance—an Indian woman—and has three biracial children.
- Vance is also said to be a protege of tech billionaire Peter Thiel—who is homosexual. Thiel has previously donated millions to fund Vance’s campaign and was believed to be responsible for facilitating a Trump endorsement of Vance in the past.
- Politically, Vance has signaled opposition to continued financial support for the embattled Ukraine. The Senator is a Zionist warhawk, however, previously calling for additional support for Israel. He believes that the country’s Christian values compel it to act in service of Tel Aviv.
- He is also a proponent of “countering antisemitism” globally and has introduced bills aimed at barring colleges and universities from federal aid should they fail to remove critics of Israel from public spaces.
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