Former President Trump has now officially become the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential candidate, choosing Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate. Vance has only been in the Senate for two years.
Host Juana Summers:
Former President Donald Trump is now officially the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential candidate, choosing Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate.
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Unidentified Group: (Chanting) JD, JD, JD, JD, JD, JD, JD
SUMMER: The crowd at the Milwaukee Republican National Committee erupted in applause as Vance and his wife, Usha, stood on the convention floor to make the official announcement. Vance entered the Senate less than two years ago. At 39 years old, he is only half the age of 78-year-old Trump. He is also a best-selling author, and his hit memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” was made into a major motion picture. It tells the story of Vance growing up in the Appalachian region of southern Ohio and a family struggling with poverty and addiction. NPR’s Don Gonyea is with me now in Milwaukee. Hey, Don.
TANGONIA, BYLINE: Hello, everyone.
SUMMER: So, Don, first of all, tell us what does J.D. Vance bring to the Republican ticket?
Gonya: It feels like he’s going to be a really aggressive fighter, an effective activist. But listen to what Donald Trump Jr. said at the convention today. Throughout the selection process, Trump Jr. was one of Vance’s biggest supporters. Here he is being interviewed by reporters.
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DONALD TRUMP JR.: I think when you talk about the Rust Belt, his background, his story would be the Rush Belt election. Wisconsin will play a vital role in this. Michigan will play a key role in this, and Penn State is his battleground. That’s his home.
GONYEA: You can hear him ticking those battleground states. Former President Trump himself echoed this in his Truth Society post, announcing his choice and noting Vance’s potential appeal to working-class voters.
SUMMER: I mean, Don, I think we’re going to see these two guys side by side on stage pretty soon. When they do this, what message do they hope to send to voters?
GONYEA: Yes, they both have a reputation for being aggressive, but there’s also a generational balance. There’s no doubt Vance is expected to appeal to younger voters. Of course, this all happened just days after the events of the weekend at Penn State. So they sent a message of resilience. Regardless, discussions of potential running mates include Sen. Tim Scott and Sen. Marco Rubio, who might be able to bring Black or Latino voters into the race. But Trump decided not to go in this direction.
SUMMER: We’re just reminding people that this will be Trump’s second vice president. He previously selected former Indiana Governor Mike Pence, whom Trump rebuked for not halting the certification of the 2020 election amid the violence we saw at the Capitol on January 6. What motivation do you think Trump is looking for?
GONIA: He certainly thinks he was burned by Pence, and he seems convinced that in Vance, he has someone who will stick with him no matter what. And, you know, the old model was that you would pick a running mate to be the attack dog on the road. Trump has always been happy to be the attack dog. But just for good measure, he’s now added another attack dog to the ticket.
Summers: Yes. I mean, I remember, Don, when we were covering politics together, I covered J.D. Vance, and I knew he wasn’t always a Trump ally. So please help us understand how he works with Trump.
GONIA: Yeah, he’s one of those people who never supported Trump, right? Even after Trump took office, he wondered — as did Vance — whether Trump might be America’s Hitler. But when it comes time for Vance to run for office himself in 2022, he’s totally on board. He is a defender of Donald Trump. Trump expressed support for him. He spoke highly of him and now here we are.
Summers: Indeed, we’re here. That’s NPR’s Don Gonyea. Don, thank you.
Gonia: I’m happy.
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