Multiple reports suggest that former President Donald Trump has made his pick for a running mate and, if lucky, his vice president.
In an announcement made through Trump’s Truth Social account, it was revealed that Ohio Senator J.D. Vance will be Trump’s running mate for the 2024 election. Vance, a renowned author and former Marine, is expected to play a pivotal role in Trump’s efforts to regain support from working-class voters across America. “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 wrote.
Trump commended his vice presidential choice for his diverse accomplishments, including his Marine Corps service, academic success at The Ohio State University and Yale Law School, and his notable career in technology and finance. Trump highlighted Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy,” a bestselling memoir that delves into the life of the American working class in the Rust Belt, which has also been adapted into a major film, underscoring its wide resonance and appeal.
“J.D. 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,” Trump continued.
“As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Congratulations to Senator J.D. Vance, his wife, Usha, who also graduated from Yale Law School, and their three beautiful children. MAGA2024!” Trump concluded.
Trump’s selection reinforces his strategy to focus on key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota — areas that could be pivotal for a 2024 victory. As outlined by Trump, Vance’s role in the campaign will center heavily on American workers and farmers, a demographic that both candidates have passionately championed in the past.
During an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Vance claimed that he has not been approached by Trump to join his campaign as the vice presidential candidate. Despite being considered a top contender for Trump’s vice presidential slot, Vance confirmed, “I have not gotten the call,” and promised to notify the press if he does receive such an invitation.
Vance turned the discussion around on “Meet The Press” host Kristen Welker on Sunday after she inquired if the Ohio senator would endorse the “weaponization of the Department of Justice” should former President Donald Trump win re-election.
“The DOJ told Congress this week it reviewed all communication since Biden took office and found no contact between federal prosecutors and those involved with that case in New York,” Welker said. She referenced Vance’s past statements criticizing politically motivated prosecutions of former President Donald Trump. She then claimed there is “no evidence” of a weaponized DOJ under President Joe Biden. “If it’s not okay for Joe Biden to weaponize the Justice Department, as you say, which there’s no evidence of that, why is it okay for Donald Trump to do that?” Welker asked.
Without hesitation, Vance brought up the questionable hiring of Matthew Colangelo, who stepped down from a senior position at the Biden Department of Justice to take on a lower-level prosecutor role in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.