Republican support for Ohio Sen. JD Vance poured in Monday after he was named as GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate.
National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Steve Daines (R-Mont.) was the first to publicly congratulate Vance, 39, whom he affectionately called his “friend.”
“JD is a successful businessman, Marine veteran, and connects with the working class voters we need to win this election. President Trump made a great choice selecting JD Vance for Vice President,” Daines said in a statement.
Trump, 78, announced his decision on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — and just two days after a gunman attempted to assassinate him during a rally in Pennsylvania, clipping the former president in the ear and killing one audience member.
Vance has long been speculated to be on Trump’s short list of vice president picks, which also included Upstate New York Rep. Elise Stefanik.
“President Trump made a strong VP choice to win this November and govern to save America,” the passed-over Republican, who is attending the Milwaukee convention, said in a statement.
“J.D. Vance is a strong America First leader and proven conservative. I have enjoyed getting to know J.D. on the campaign trail as surrogates for President Trump and I look forward to campaigning and working with him closely in the months and years ahead. I am humbled and honored to have been considered by President Trump throughout this process.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and biotech mogul Vivek Ramaswamy — who were also contenders for the job — echoed the commendations, with Noem insisting that the Trump-Vance team “will unite this country.”
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who has shown strong support for Trump in the days after his assassination attempt, called Vance a “strong pick” for the vice president sear.
“I’m fired up to work alongside President Trump and J.D. Vance to Make America Great Again! #TrumpVance2024,” Scalise wrote on X.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) confidently stated that Trump would win the 2024 election with Vance at his side, saying the Ohio lawmaker will make a “terrific” vice president.
The campaign hashtag gained near-immediate traction online, with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) quickly adopting the slogan.
“JD is a true freedom fighter, who will champion the issues important to Americans: secure borders, safer communities, lower taxes, a lethal fighting force, and the rule of law,” Blackburn tweeted.
Tesla boss Elon Musk — who fully endorsed Trump in the wake of the Pennsylvania shooting — also applauded the choice, calling the pick an “excellent choice.”
Trump’s opponents in the 2024 race, meanwhile, criticized the pick, with the Biden-Harris campaign slamming Vance as a pliable partner-in-crime who will “bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people.”
“As Trump’s running mate, Vance will make it his mission to enact Trump’s Project 2025 agenda at the expense of American families,” campaign chair Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.
“This is someone who supports banning abortion nationwide while criticizing exceptions for rape and incest survivors; railed against the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for millions with preexisting conditions; and has admitted he wouldn’t have certified the free and fair election in 2020,” she continued, adding that the Trump-Vance team would slash taxes for billionaires, putting the burden on working- and middle-class Americans.
“Over the next three and a half months, we will spend every single day making the case between the two starkly contrasting visions Americans will choose between at the ballot box this November: the Biden-Harris ticket who’s focused on uniting the country, creating opportunity for everyone, and lowering costs; or Trump-Vance – whose harmful agenda will take away Americans’ rights, hurt the middle class, and make life more expensive – all while benefiting the ultra-rich and greedy corporations.”
Libertarian Party presidential candidate Chase Oliver also chimed in, taking the chance to put a spotlight on his own partner.
“When I selected my running mate Mike ter Maat, I knew I would have a partner I could trust in this campaign. We have now seen who each campaign has chosen for their running mate,” Oliver wrote, making a pointed effort not to mention Vance by name.
“I know I have the best of the bunch in my corner. Trump and Biden would be so lucky to have a running mate like Mike. Fortunately for me, I’m the lucky one.”