Donald Trump Announces J.D. Vance as Vice Presidential Running Mate

The much-fussed veepstakes are finally over. Joining Donald Trump on his 2024 presidential ticket will be J.D. Vance.

Vance is a junior senator from Ohio who is known as a political firebrand for his biography, Hillbilly Elegy, which was adapted for Netflix.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, “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. 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.

“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 concluded

The announcement came on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday (July 15) at an unusually fraught moment in history. It was just two days after his Pennsylvania rally was the site of a violent shooting attack, with one attendee killed and three others injured, including Trump.

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In response to the apparent assassination attempt, there were some questions about whether the RNC could continue as planned, but no changes were announced.

Others believed to be considered for the gig were Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Glenn Youngkin, and Tim Scott. Reuters reported hours before the announcement that Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was considered a frontrunner for the VP role, received word that he would not be the vice presidential pick on Monday. Then, CNN’s Abby Phillips reported that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum subsequently received a call indicating he would not be the pick.

Trump’s first vice presidential nominee was, of course, Mike Pence, who served alongside him during his term in office. However, Pence was later the apparent target of a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump rioters on January 6, 2021, who were displeased with his decision to follow the law and not delay certification of the 2020 election results. Pence has since declared he will not support Trump’s candidacy in 2024.