JD Vance’s Youth and Past Could Help Trump

MILWAUKEE — Despite all the enthusiasm surrounding former President Donald Trump’s nomination following a failed assassination attempt on his life, some delegates at the Republican National Convention were unaware that he had even chosen a replacement Monday night.

As the news spread, there was a flurry of activity among the Ohio delegation, and shortly thereafter Vance entered the Fiserv Forum arena to thunderous applause.

“He’s not only going to help Pennsylvania, he’s going to help Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and we’re going to win all four,” said Michael McMullen, a delegate from North Hills, Pennsylvania, as he watched Vance make his way around the convention floor.

“I think of him as the Abraham Lincoln of the 21st century, given his upbringing,” said Louis Capozzi, a delegate from Philadelphia. “I think when President Trump is elected in November, after four years, he’s going to want to pass the baton to someone else, and I think that’s J.D. Vance.”

A former Trump critic turned devoted ally, Vance, 39, is now the first millennial to join a major party in a campaign that has seen American voters express deep concern about the age of its political leaders. Democrats were quick on Monday to seize on his earlier statements condemning Trump and a more recent statement blaming Biden for Saturday’s attempted coup.

Vance gained national fame after the publication of his memoirs in 2016, Elegy for the PeasantsHe was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the former president’s staunchest supporters of his “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy and immigration.

He joins a field of candidates who are largely untested in national politics. And his acceptance means two white men will lead the field as Trump tries to win support from black and Latino voters.

“It seems like a wasted opportunity,” said one delegate from Pennsylvania on the convention floor, reluctant to publicly criticize the choice. “What does he add?” asked a delegate who had hoped for a vice presidential candidate with a more diverse background or more moderate appeal.

But even delegates who disapproved of Vance’s pick described him as someone unlikely to change the course of a race that has recently looked favorable to Trump.

“I thought he was a little young to be our next president, but hey, if that’s what Trump wants, we’re all 100 percent behind him,” said Rick Saccone, a delegate and former congressional candidate from Western Pennsylvania. “Everybody had their favorites, so Trump has to feel a special connection to him, and that’s important for this ticket.”

Vance’s nomination was, on the one hand, hugely significant because it came just days after Trump survived an assassination attempt that shed airy on the vice president’s crucial role as threats of political violence have increased across the United States. It also got lost in the general buzz surrounding the start of the convention and on a day when the secret documents case against Trump was dropped.

But as Vance walked through the arena, delegates gathered around him, giving him high-fives and shaking hands. Some quickly wrote his name under TRUMP posters being handed out to the crowd.

For many Pennsylvania delegates, Vance is a sure-fire choice, someone from a tiny town in Ohio who built a political brand (and wrote a bestselling memoir) based on his upbringing. That experience could give Trump a boost in post-industrial cities and rural areas where he has made huge strides since 2016.

“Senator Vance is really going to represent the rustbelt states that a lot of people in Washington, D.C., have forgotten about,” said state Rep. Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster). “When you look at his life experiences, where he grew up, how he grew up, I think that will resonate with younger voters who can relate to him, especially in times like these.”

Republican Party leaders cited his working-class background in nominating him on Monday.

“Ohio values ​​are in his blood,” said Ohio Gov. Jon Husted. “He is a crusader for Ohioans in the United States Senate. He has never forgotten the working people of our country.”

Ohio Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno called Vance “a patriot who loves America” ​​who “knows what it means to live in poverty, forgotten by Washington politicians.”

Democrats quickly cited Vance’s previous statements criticizing Trump.

“This may come as a surprise, but I actually agree with JD on a few things,” Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said in an email asking for funding. “For example, I agree with him when he called Trump a ‘cynical jerk’ and when he said Trump is ‘unfit for the highest office in our country.’”

Biden’s campaign called him a rubber stamp for Trump’s “extreme MAGA agenda” and specifically highlighted his past comments on abortion rights.

“Donald Trump chose JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence would not do on January 6: he will do whatever it takes to enable Trump to advance his radical MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter what harm it does to the American people,” Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement.

At the arena where Trump was to appear for the first time later that evening, delegates from Pennsylvania said the choice was logical for him, knowing that personal relationships and loyalties are a priority.

Val Biancaniello, a Delaware County delegate, said she was content with Vance but repeated an oft-repeated sentiment: whoever Trump wants.

“Anyone Trump nominates will be compatible with anyone,” she said. “No one is arguing with him right now. Whoever he’s comfortable with, that’s our guy.”

Sue Helm, a Harrisburg-area delegate, leaned back as the crowd gathered around Vance on the floor. The 80-year-old former Pennsylvania state representative liked the choice.

“He gets along with both Donalds, that’s important,” she said, referring to both Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr.

“And hey, he’s a handsome guy.”

This article was co-authored by Associated Press.