Donald Trump has named former “never Trumper” Republican and Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential nominee.
Republican National Convention (RNC) delegates formally selected JD Vance, 39, on July 15 after Donald Trump announced on his social media platform he had chosen him after “lengthy deliberation and thought”.
JD Vance is a Yale-educated venture capitalist and author of the bestselling memoir-turned-film Hillbilly Elegy.
He has previously criticized his new running mate, once suggesting privately that Donald Trump could be “America’s Hitler”, but has since become an ardent supporter.
In the 2022 midterm elections, he won a seat in the Senate with Donald Trump’s endorsement – his first time being elected to public office.
After his confirmation as Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance took aim at Joe Biden, claiming on Fox News that Americans elected an “empty vessel” in 2020 who is now “an incapacitated president”.
He claimed Democrats had lied about Joe Biden’s health, and voters could “either reward or punish that behaviour” in November.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
JD Vance added that he had said “bad things” about Donald Trump but it was important to admit he was wrong.
A native of Ohio, JD Vance gained attention after the release of Hillbilly Elegy, which tells of his blue-collar upbringing and how it affected his politics.
Donald Trump said on the Truth Social platform that the book “championed the hardworking men and women of our country”.
“As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” he continued.
In comments on July 15, President Biden called JD Vance a “clone of Trump” – indicating how Democrats will attempt to portray him for the rest of the campaign.
