(USNewsBreak.com) – The Republican National Convention began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Monday, July 15. Former President Donald Trump made his first public appearance since the failed attempt on his life two days prior, and he also took the time to name his running mate for the 2024 election. Trump chose 39-year-old conservative GOP Ohio Senator JD Vance for the role.
Vance, a lifelong Ohio resident, was born and raised in the state. He served the country overseas in Iraq as a former US Marine. The senator attended both Ohio State University and, later, Yale Law School, where he met his wife. He even worked as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley for a time.
'MAGA2024!': Trump celebrates naming 39-year-old Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) as his running mate. https://t.co/h3nYV4NkoA pic.twitter.com/y71wfMdFxN
— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 15, 2024
Yet, he captured the spotlight in 2016 when he published “Hillbilly Elegy,” a memoir. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Jr, enjoyed the book, prompting the two to become friends when they first met as Vance entered the political sphere.
Vance took a while before running for office. However, after setting up an anti-opioid charity — he shared personal stories of his mother’s drug addiction a number of times — he began circulating the country giving lectures. He took the opportunity to lay the groundwork for his senate campaign in 2021. Ohio constituents first elected the senator in 2022 to replace Senator Rob Portman (R), who retired. Trump’s endorsement helped propel Vance to the win despite facing fierce competition.
One thing that has worked in Vance’s favor was his personal relationship with Trump, who favors those loyal to him. The irony was that the Ohio senator was once on the “never Trump” train when he called the former president “dangerous” and “unfit” for office. Yet, Vance completely changed his viewpoint just a few years later. He’s now a fierce ally who consistently defends Trump.
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