Although in the world of former President Donald Trump, nothing is definite until it is final, rumors are circulating that rookie Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) might end up being Trump’s running mate. If true, this would be a watershed moment for veterans and young voters alike.
At 39 years old, Vance would have made history as the first-ever major party presidential candidate to be a combat veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having participated in the Iraq War. It would be easy to debunk Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s vicious “suckers and losers” hoax if we elected someone with firsthand experience in combat as a Marine, especially considering Biden’s persistence in using the lie repeatedly since the debate and ever since. Plus, with Democrats still in a state of disarray over how to proceed with their ticket following Biden’s disastrous debate performance, Trump supporters see Vance’s selection as a way to further cement the gains Trump has made with young voters. After all, he would be the first millennial to serve on a presidential ticket.
An ardent Trump supporter told Breitbart News on Friday that if elected, he would make history by being the first millennial to serve on a presidential ticket and the first United States Marine. “His choice would be genuinely groundbreaking.”
Trump seems to be leaning toward Vance, according to certain evidence. Before anything else, the prediction markets have turned heavily in favor of Vance over the past two days.
Second, on Wednesday night, Trump will announce his running mate, and the Republican National Convention schedule currently has Trump Jr., the eldest son, speaking immediately after. The vice presidential candidate will officially receive the nomination and address the country during the convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday evening in primetime next week. Trump Jr., a longtime friend of Vance’s, has been vocal about his desire to have the young Ohio senator serve as his father’s running mate. The convention organizers’ decision to have Trump Jr. effectively present the vice presidential pick is one of the several red flags suggesting Vance could be the chosen candidate.
On top of that, Trent Conaway, the mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, is currently being considered for a primetime speech at the convention on Wednesday. During the aftermath of the train disaster, Vance notably assisted Trump in organizing his early visit to East Palestine, where he defeated Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the GOP presidential primary. This incident has become emblematic of Joe Biden’s incompetence as president and the government’s inaction in the face of a catastrophe impacting the “forgotten man and woman” in the American rust belt. Team Trump, including perhaps running mate Vance, would be doubling down on that effective messaging and moment if Conaway were to speak at the convention on Wednesday tentatively.
He told Breitbart News that Vance is the ideal spokesperson to reach the blue-collar people Trump needs to win in the rust belt states. Among the vice presidential candidates, he poses the greatest electoral threat to Democrats due to his extraordinary life narrative, which includes overcoming adversity—including a mother’s battle with drug addiction—to become a Marine, a Yale Law graduate, a best-selling author, a prosperous businessman, and a senator. They’re scared to run against him because of his ability to reach low-income and working-class people.
The fact that Trump’s detractors have been criticizing Vance and endorsing the other potential vice presidential picks in the past several weeks is very telling, according to a second Trump supporter who is knowledgeable about the other contenders and spoke with Breitbart News.
The second Trump supporter told Breitbart News, “Among the three candidates, Vance is the most ideologically aligned and the only one who could ensure the sustainability of the America First movement, not undermined by Karl Rove and the establishment Bush wing of the party.” “That is the reason for the anti-Trump establishment’s relentless efforts to tarnish his reputation and support either Burgum or Rubio,”
The second source reiterated the importance of Vance’s connections in Silicon Valley and his robust fundraising efforts for Trump. “He is also someone who made himself a big success in the business sector at a young age,” the second Trump loyalist added, referring to the 39-year-old. “He has become such a fundraising juggernaut for Trump over the past year, in large part due to the ties he made in Silicon Valley and the crypto area throughout his business career.”
Vance has been making frequent TV appearances defending Trump and his agenda, according to a third source familiar with the matter. He even out-interviews the most forceful interviewers, so he’s getting ahead in the selection process. This same source also claims that his debate skills in Ohio, whether in the 2022 GOP primary or the general election, are excellent selling points.
On Saturday night, Trump will host a rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania, which is located in the working-class rust belt and just across the border from Vance’s Ohio. As the convention starts on Monday and delegates in Milwaukee start the process of officially nominating the presidential and vice presidential candidates, one would think that a decision is coming by then, even though the former president has not yet announced anything or made a final decision.
