Trump announces former critic JD Vance as his running mate

The Hillbilly Elegy author and former venture capitalist has become Trump’s most outspoken supporter in the Senate — but it wasn’t always this way

Former president Donald Trump announced that he selected Senator JD Vance of Ohio to be his running mate. ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

Former president Donald Trump has announced Senator JD Vance — who came to prominence as a critic of Trump’s but emerged as an outspoken MAGA warrior — as his running mate.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Vance “the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States” after what he described as “lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others.”

He said the Ohio senator “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.”

The Independent reported earlier Monday that Trump had likely settled on Vance as his running mate, “I have always thought [Vance] would be the pick. He’s close to [Donald Trump Jr] and Trump likes him,” one campaign source said. “He will be good.”

Trump announced his new running mate on the first day of the Republican National Convention, following a dramatic weekend during which he survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania. A spectator at the Trump rally was killed and another left critically injured during the shooting; Trump was left bloodied, with an injury to his ear. The suspect, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, was also killed by Secret Service.

The shooting cast a shadow over the RNC and the running mate announcement today. On Sunday, President Biden addressed the nation, describing violence toward politicians as “sick” and calling for a dialing-down of harsh rhetoric on both sides.

Trump announced JD Vance as his VP pick on Monday. (Truth Social)

JD Vance, a native of the former swing state of Ohio, came to prominence with the release of his 2016 book Hillbilly Elegy, which served as a memoir and a chronicle of the plight of the rural white working class.

The book chronicled his mother’s struggles with addiction and described how Vance went from being raised in a volatile household to serving in the US Marine Corps to graduating from Yale Law School. Vance would later go on to work for Mithril Capital.

Initially, Vance sold himself as a critic of former president Donald Trump who voted for Evan McMullin in the 2016 presidential election, going so far as to say he was a “Never Trump Guy.”

But when Trump won the presidency, Vance began to change his tune. In 2022, he announced his candidacy to replace retiring Senator Rob Portman. By then, he was a fully fledged Trump supporter who earned the former president’s endorsement. That endorsement boosted him to the front of the polls — and led Trump to claim, “JD is kissing my ass,” in a controversial moment that went viral.

Since becoming a senator, Vance has doubled down as a warrior for the pro-Trump wing of the GOP.

U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) looks on as former President Donald Trump speaks to the media during Trump’s trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 13, 2024 in New York City (Getty Images)

“A lot of Senate Republicans actually don't like Donald Trump and I think they're gonna have to get over it because he’s going to be our nominee and he’s going to be our next president,” he said ahead of the first Republican presidential primary contests in January.

In terms of actual political achievements, Vance had a brief star turn after a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, which led to him co-sponsoring legislation with Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Marco Rubio of Florida, as well as Democratic Senators Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Pennsylvania Democratic Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey. But the legislation has not moved much.

He has also been one of the biggest opponents of sending more money to support Ukraine in its pushback against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression.

Trump chose not to re-select former vice president Mike Pence, with whom he had a break after Pence refused to vote to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

Vance’s ascent comes as Trump seeks to consolidate support among his base and with independent voters. Meanwhile, Democrats continue to fret about whether President Joe Biden can stay at the top of the ticket.

On Monday, Republicans descended upon Milwaukee to hold their convention as they seek to win back Wisconsin largely on the back of Trump’s supposed appeal to working-class voters. Vance’s connection with Appalachia is, presumably, intended to help with those efforts.