Trump Chooses J.D. Vance as 2024 Running Mate: Key Facts

Former President Donald Trump has officially announced that Ohio Senator J.D. Vance will be his vice-presidential running mate for the 2024 election, a decision revealed on Truth Social on Monday. This announcement places Vance, a prominent Trump ally, in the spotlight, drawing significant attention to his political career and previous controversies.

J.D. Vance, 39, is a multifaceted figure with a diverse background. He served as a Marine in the Iraq War before pursuing higher education at Yale Law School. After graduating, he worked as a venture capitalist before transitioning into politics. Vance’s rise to the U.S. Senate in 2022 was heavily influenced by Trump’s endorsement, which played a pivotal role in his victory over both GOP primary challenger Josh Mandel and Democratic nominee Tim Ryan. During his Senate campaign, Vance attracted considerable financial support from billionaire Peter Thiel, a former PayPal co-founder and one of his early backers. Thiel’s $15 million donation was the largest ever recorded for a single Senate candidate, according to Politico. Vance has praised Thiel as a “fascinating and knowledgeable person” and has spoken about their intellectual exchanges.

Vance first gained national prominence with the release of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in 2016. The book explores the socioeconomic decline of the working-class community in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, through his own life experiences. It provides a detailed account of the challenges faced by individuals from lower-income backgrounds, including issues related to poverty, addiction, and family instability. Vance’s depiction of his family’s struggles with addiction and domestic violence, including an incident where his grandmother set fire to his grandfather, helped to underscore the broader socio-economic issues he aimed to address. The memoir was adapted into a Netflix film in 2020, further increasing Vance’s public profile.

Vance’s campaign platform focuses on several key issues: reducing federal spending and inflation, increasing domestic oil and gas production, addressing the opioid crisis, opposing abortion, securing the southern border, and overhauling immigration policies. Known for his controversial and provocative statements, Vance has not shied away from expressing strong opinions. After an attack on Trump, Vance took to Twitter to suggest that President Joe Biden’s campaign strategy might have contributed to the incident, framing the attack as a consequence of Biden’s portrayal of Trump as an “authoritarian fascist.”

Vance’s relationship with Trump has been notably complex. Initially, Vance was a vocal critic of Trump, having admitted that he did not vote for him in the 2016 election and describing Trump as “cynical” and potentially “America’s Hitler” in private communications. Vance publicly criticized Trump’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric and expressed doubts about the validity of sexual assault allegations against Trump. However, by 2021, Vance had publicly acknowledged his past errors and expressed regret for his previous criticisms. This shift in stance helped secure Trump’s endorsement in the 2022 Senate race. Trump has since recognized Vance’s past critiques but expressed confidence in Vance’s alignment with his current views, stating, “Like some others, J.D. Vance may have said some not-so-great things about me in the past, but he gets it now, and I have seen that in spades.”

The Biden-Harris campaign swiftly responded to Trump’s announcement with sharp criticism. Jen O’Malley Dillon, Chair of the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign, criticized Vance’s positions on several issues, including his past support for a nationwide abortion ban, opposition to the Affordable Care Act, and controversial views on same-sex marriage and immigration. Democrats have labeled Vance as “too dangerous” for public office, citing his stance on divorce, abortion, and the 2020 election results. Despite his previous support for a nationwide abortion ban, Vance has recently stated his support for access to the abortion pill mifepristone. In 2022, Vance also stated he would not have supported federal legislation protecting same-sex and interracial marriage, calling it a “bizarre distraction” from other issues. Vance has also claimed he would not have certified the 2020 election results if he were in the position of then-Vice President Mike Pence.

Vance had previously acknowledged he was a leading contender for Trump’s vice-presidential pick. In late June, he expressed some disappointment at the possibility of not being selected but recognized that Trump’s team was considering various candidates. Other names reportedly under consideration included Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and Senator Marco Rubio from Florida. Trump had previously indicated he sought a vice-presidential candidate with substantial experience and a balanced demeanor. Additionally, Trump mentioned that he was waiting to assess the impact of Biden’s debate performance on the race before finalizing his choice.

If Trump and Vance are successful in the 2024 election, Vance’s departure from the Senate would create a vacancy that could provide an opportunity for Democrats to capture his seat in the subsequent general election.