Donald Trump has named Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, further elevating the Ohio Republican who has adopted the former president’s populist agenda after years of pointed criticism of Trump.
Trump’s selection came on the first day of the Republican National Convention and just two days after he survived an assassination attempt at his campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend.
“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,” Trump said .
Vance, a venture capitalist and was elected to the Senate in 2022 after receiving a boost from Trump in a contentious Republican primary.
However, Vance earned Trump’s endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Republican Senate primary after a concerted yearlong effort by Vance to embrace a new image as a leading MAGA proponent, courting the former president at meetings in Mar-a-Lago and through appearances on Fox News.
In a display of loyalty, Vance was one of several potential running mates and Republican lawmakers to stand by Trump’s side at a New York courthouse during his criminal hush money trial.
