What you need to know about Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance

Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow
·2 min read
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With Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump picking his running mate Monday, the party’s ticket is finally complete for the November general election. JD Vance will be the vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party.

The announcement came at the kick-off of the Republican National Convention, taking place this week in Milwaukee. Trump posted his decision on his social media site, Truth Social.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President is J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote.

Here’s what you should know about Vance:

Hillbilly Elegy

Vance, 39, is a U.S. senator from Ohio elected in 2022 and sworn into office in January 2023. As a candidate, he received Trump’s endorsement.

He is mostly known for being a best-selling author of Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir of his experiences growing up in a dysfunctional family in Kentucky and Ohio that gives a look at the struggles of America’s white working class.

MAGA Conversion

When Trump first ran for president in 2016, Vance was a staunch critic, describing himself at one point as a “Never Trumper.”

But Vance, like many Republicans, came around on Trump. And in his short time in office, he has aligned himself with Trump’s political agenda and is considered a consistent MAGA supporter in the Senate. He is a critic of U.S. engagement in foreign conflicts and has expressed hard-line immigration rhetoric.

Vance was among the first Republicans to react to the recent assassination attempt against Trump this Saturday, by writing on his X social media account: “Everyone join me in praying for our President Trump and everyone at that rally. I hope everyone is ok.”

He later said that the incident was not isolated and implied that Democrats’ rhetoric towards Trump led to the attempt.

Military Service

Vance served in the Marine Corps as a public affairs marine in Iraq and later attended Ohio State University and Yale Law. He is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance and they have three children together.