As Trump eyes VP hopefuls, JD Vance is the MAGA king in the Senate
NBCJUN 14 2024
Trump Picks JD Vance as Running Mate
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The Facts
The now-official Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump named Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate on Monday at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
The former president stressed that Vance was "the person best suited" to the position and would focus on "the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and far beyond" on the campaign trail.
Once a fierce Trump critic, the 39-year-old changed his position ahead of the 2022 Senate race and has become one of his staunchest supporters in the upper chamber.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Vance had been undersold along the campaign because he would allegedly bring little to the presidential ticket, especially as Ohio is a pro-Trump state. Actually, his appointment shows that Trump has doubled down on his MAGA populist platform combined with Silicon Valley savvy. This reassures both young and rural voters that someone will speak about their issues.
Democratic narrative
If Trump alone would be enough of a threat to America's democracy, a Trump-Vance presidential ticket makes things even worse. Unlike Mike Pence, Vance will eagerly support any attempt to subvert democracy due to his own authoritarian, Machiavellian dreams — and that is precisely why Trump chose him as his running mate.