AP/Carolyn Kaster
Former president Donald Trump officially selected Ohio Senator JD Vance as his 2024 running mate on Day 1 of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee — and the Republican Party praise began rolling in almost instantly.
“JD Vance is going to wipe the floor with Kamala Harris in the VP debate,” a national Republican strategist told The Post. “And given the fact Harris will inevitably replace Biden, who is incapable of finishing another four year term, Trump couldn’t have picked a better running mate to establish what’s on stake in this election.”
Vance is a first-term Ohio Senator who rose to prominence in 2016 from the release of his acclaimed memoir Hillbilly Elegy, which was later made into a feature film directed by Ron Howard and starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams. The book recounts Vance’s childhood growing up in the working class town of Middletown, Ohio and traces his family roots for several generations to Kentucky’s Appalachia, and their afflictions with poverty, violence, and substance abuse.
Vance has been a top contender on Trump’s VP shortlist for months, and the official announcement came on stage at the Republican National Convention in Madison, Wisconsin Monday afternoon, and then shortly after on the former president’s Truth Social account. When Vance’s name was announced on stage, the crowd at the convention cheered and chanted Vance’s name in appreciation.
The online responses from Republicans have been equally enthusiastic, with many excited at the prospect of a debate between Vance and the current Vice-Prez, Kamala Harris.
However, those displeased with the pick protested online that Vance has previously attacked Trump and even called him “America’s Hitler.”
Conventional wisdom would suggest that Trump would only consider loyalists to the letter in his VP selection, but choosing Vance could indicate that he prizes youth and star power over lifelong allegiance.
Traditionally, VP debates in US election years are held in late-October.