Trump rejects vice presidential nominee JD Vance of Ohio

In a big surprise to the Republican Party, former President Donald Trump announced that his running mate for vice president can be Ohio Republican Senator J.D. Vance.

Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social website just hours after the primary day of the Republican National Convention began on July 15.

“After much consideration and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have determined that the person best qualified to serve as Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the great state of Ohio,” Trump said.

The Republican senator met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club on July 13 ahead of a rally where the previous president was allegedly the victim of a terrorist attack.

According to the Associated Press, Vance has faced criticism for blaming President Joe Biden for the act of violence“A central tenet of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote on X.

“This rhetoric led directly to the attempted assassination of President Trump.”

Just a few days later, Vance entered the convention floor under Merle Haggard’s “American First” banner to officially accept his party’s vice presidential nomination.

The pick ends rumors that Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) were within the running for the job. During a February 2024 Fox News Town Hall, Trump announced the pair could potentially make the cut. “Honestly, all of these people are good. They’re all good. They’re all solid,” he told host Laura Ingram.

Scott and Donalds were seen alongside Vance as loyal allies during Trump’s New York money racket trial. As the trial wound down, Trump whispered of a possible endorsement for Donalds if he ran for governor of Florida, reportedly telling the congressman, “He’ll have a lot of friends in the race” if he runs.

Scott, who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign against his former foe, continued to defend Trump, saying “we have the right candidate” in March 2024. “This is our time to stand up for what America is today, not this utopian American dream that is our nightmare,” he said.

Social media users jumped at the possibility to mock Donalds and Scott for not getting elected. “Trump really forced Tim Scott into marriage just to NOT get him elected VP,” @adamjsmith said.

Another user noted that each lawmakers made “interesting moves” for nothing in return. “Byron Donalds and Tim Scott did all that step, shucking, jiving and twerking for Trump, and for what?” wrote @notcapnamerica.

Vance’s selection further promotes Trump’s populist agenda, nevertheless it promotes a special tone than the way in which Vance viewed Trump years earlier. In 2016, the enterprise capitalist was a key advocate of the “Never Trump” movement and has publicly railed against the forty fifth president. Vance has been noted for liking various tweets critical of Trump’s policies and was once rumored to potentially serve in a Hillary Clinton administration.

The 39-year-old gained national fame after releasing his memoir after which received Trump’s endorsement within the 2022 Ohio Republican Senate primary.