Republican Donald Trump on Monday picked J.D. Vance, a US senator from Ohio and author of the best-selling book “Hillbilly Elegy,” as his running mate, US media reported.
The news, which has been the subject of much speculation in recent weeks, came at the start of the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which nominated the party’s presidential ticket. Vance appeared at the event shortly afterwards to applause from delegates but did not make a speech. Trump wrote on his Truth Social Media site:
“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.”
The choice of James David Vance could help boost turnout in the November 5 election, especially in some of the Rust Belt states where the outcome of the election is likely to be decided. The Ohio native is a popular Republican candidate, and his populist ideas are well suited to states with significant white working class populations that have suffered from deindustrialisation.
As a staunch conservative, however, Vance is unlikely to attract many new voters to Trump’s ranks and may even alienate some moderates. Some Trump supporters have pushed for him to pick a woman or person of colour as his number two to expand the white-male-dominated coalition.
Several Trump advisers said the former president, who survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, was focused on picking a candidate he trusted and got along with.
Among those privately advocating for Vance, according to several sources familiar with the matter, were Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. and conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.
In choosing Vance, Trump beat out other contenders, including US Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Vance Facts
Vance, 39, represents a younger generation in an election that includes Trump, 78, and Biden, 81, and is a counterweight to the Democratic ticket, which also includes Vice President Kamala Harris, 59. J.D. Vance became famous for his book “Hillbilly Elegy” about life in the depressed Midwest, with unemployment and drug addiction. He was able to escape that hopelessness by joining the Marines and working as a war correspondent in Iraq. Vance then made money in hedge funds and finally entered politics.
In 2022, J.D. Vance was elected Senator from Ohio. He’s well versed in the specifics of issues throughout the Midwest. And Vance is capable of helping Trump win many key states, from Michigan to Pennsylvania, which are likely to decide the outcome of the presidential race.
Vance opposes aid to Ukraine
In terms of views, Vance is even more Trumpist than Trump himself. He supports protectionism and the fight against migration. In foreign policy, Vance has fundamentally opposed the allocation of tranches to Ukraine, which prolongs the conflict and depletes US arsenals.
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper he said:
“The idea that Ukraine was going to throw Russia back to the 1991 borders was preposterous. Nobody actually believed it. So what we’re saying to the president and really to the entire world is, you need to articulate what the ambition is. What is $61 billion going to accomplish that $100 billion hasn’t?”
He also added:
“We have to remember, Jake, Ukraine is functionally destroyed as a country. The average age of a soldier in the Ukrainian army right now is 43. That’s tragic. That’s older than me. I’m 39. If this thing goes on a little bit longer, the average age of the Ukrainian soldier is going to be older than you, and then, a year later, it could be a Wolf Blitzer. That is a tragedy. What does it look like?”
Vance, along with 18 other Republicans, signed a petition to Biden in 2023 calling for an end to “unlimited aid” to Kyiv. He threatened to block the next aid packages if they were not tied to a strategy to end the conflict as soon as possible.
The politician believes that instead of spending billions of dollars to support Ukraine, it should be spent on strengthening the southern border to keep out migrants who take jobs away from poor Americans, or bringing factories back to the US.
Immediately after Trump picked Vance as his vice presidential pick, the politician said that if he wins, the new Republican administration will push for negotiations to end the conflict.
Ukrainian media believe that Trump’s choice of Vance underscores the dominance of sceptical views on support for Ukraine among his closest advisers and associates.
