TRUMP VP PICK: The Kid From Middletown

In one of the most eagerly anticipated vice presidential picks in recent memory, former President Donald Trump tapped Ohio Senator J.D. Vance to be his running mate on Monday.

“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 of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump posted on Truth Social. The former president then went on to list Vance’s credentials, from his time serving in the Marines to his meteoric rise from Yale Law graduate, to venture capitalist, to successful author and eventually United States Senator – all before his 40th birthday.

Although Vance was not on the radar of many beltway insiders as a potential VP pick when Trump announced his comeback bid two years ago, his stock rose as he quickly established a reputation in the Senate for being an eloquent and effective defender of Trump’s America First platform. In the days leading up to Monday’s announcement, he emerged as a slight betting favorite to get the nod.

An America First Vice President

While Trump’s pick may have surprised some given Vance’s relative political inexperience, his personal story and Rust Belt background meld perfectly with Trump’s core message to Americans and will likely receive plenty of air time in the final months of the race.

As I wrote in a VP preview piece earlier this year, “Vance’s firm grasp of populist policies, molded by his upbringing in a blue-collar Rust Belt town in Southwest Ohio, could make him especially appealing as a vice-presidential candidate as Trump looks to retake Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania this year. Vance has demonstrated a deep understanding of the political and societal forces which led to the economic struggles of this region, and he would likely prove an especially effective communicator to voters there.”

Moreover, Vance’s background as a writer and experience as a media pundit likely carried weight with Trump, long a master of public image. As a writer, Vance developed the critical thinking faculties necessary for persuading voters – a powerful tool when combined with the crash course in consensus-building he has no doubt received during his short time in the Senate. Trump will need to work with Congress to implement his agenda if he is elected, and Vance’s relationships there will play a pivotal role in making that happen.

According to recent media reports, Vance has also helped rally public support for Trump in, of all places, Silicon Valley. This seemingly impossible feat likely also helped prove to Trump that Vance had ability to forge deals and agreements that will be necessary to revitalize the American economy after four years of malaise under Biden. Like Trump, Vance recognizes that making the American economy competitive in the 21st century will mean investing in new technologies and keeping the United States on the leading edge of innovation.

Less than two years into his Senate tenure, Vance has also already solidified himself as a leading voice on emerging issues like cryptocurrency regulation as well as the bread-and-butter of Trump’s America First agenda, namely reshoring manufacturing jobs and ending the unwonted influence of globalist elites in American government – most notably through his strident opposition to sending American tax dollars to Ukraine while the United States faces so many pressing issues at home.

I had the opportunity to briefly meet Vance on two occasions during his 2022 campaign, and quickly understood what Trump saw in him. Here was a man who had attended a top law school in America, made millions in Silicon Valley, soared to the highest levels of political stardom, yet carried himself with the humility of a kid from Middletown who was simply grateful for everything he has. His down-to-earth mentality and basic self-awareness are two characteristics utterly lacking in most politicians that will quickly endear him to many Americans and make him a valuable asset to Trump’s candidacy in the final crucial months of the campaign.

Ultimately, J.D. Vance is what the left fears the most – a true rags-to-riches story who proves that the American Dream is not dead, that the United States is still the land of opportunity, and that the America First brand of conservatism is the best way to make that opportunity available to everyone and restore a culture in decline.

A Promising Future

For conservatives, there is much to be excited about in J.D. Vance, both from the standpoint of his vice presidency and continued leadership in the Republican Party beyond 2024.

First and foremost, Trump’s choice of Vance re-affirms the new direction of the GOP away from the old guard establishment and toward the new America First vision Trump pioneered eight years ago. While Vance and Trump have disparate backgrounds, they are united by a unique ability and willingness to challenge the status quo, establishment group think, and D.C. Swamp mentality that have been disastrous for everyday Americans while unjustly enriching and empowering a favored few.

Perhaps nothing evinces this better than Vance’s unapologetically and undeniably America First approach to foreign policy. Vance has seen first-hand the crises America is facing at home, from the opioid epidemic to the border invasion, and voters can be confident that he will prioritize the needs of the American people.

As venture capitalist David Sacks succinctly put it on X, “When the Twin Towers came down, J.D. Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps, gung-ho to exact justice on America’s enemies. Subsequently he came to believe the Forever Wars were a mistake. This is who I want by Trump’s side: an American patriot, with the courage to fight America’s wars but the wisdom to know when to avoid them.”

Vance has also proven himself particularly adept at sparring with the media, much like the man at the top of the Republican ticket. He has variously battled with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, CBS’s Margaret Brennan, and numerous other cable news talking heads on issues ranging from election integrity to tax policy.

Vance’s proven ability to run intellectual circles around the liberal press also makes him a perfect counterweight to Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris has at times been even more gaffe-prone than Joe Biden while often appearing stiff and awkward in public. When the two face off for a vice presidential debate later this year, Vance will have the opportunity to make a strong case about why voters can be far more confident with him being “a heartbeat away” from the Oval Office.

Looking ahead to 2028, with Trump term-limited should he win in November, Vance appears poised to become the frontrunner for the Republican nomination should he decide to run. In choosing Vance, Trump has ensured that a strong American First figure has the opportunity to carry on his legacy.

Humble Beginnings

Vance was born in Middletown, Ohio, a community wedged between Cincinnati and Dayton. His childhood was filled with poverty, abuse, and drug addiction, and he was primarily raised by his maternal grandparents.

After graduating from Middletown High School in 2003, Vance enlisted in the Marines, where he served overseas in the Iraq War. He later attended The Ohio State University before earning admission to Yale Law School. He graduated in 2013.

After Yale, Vance worked for Senator John Cornyn of Texas before entering private practice. In 2016, he moved to Silicon Valley to work for renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel. That same year, Vance published Hillbilly Elegy, a memoir that would rocket him to national fame. The book, which detailed Vance’s childhood in Appalachia and the cultural and economic crisis that exists in Middle America, was held up by many in the corporate media as an explainer of Trump’s surprise victory.

Shortly thereafter, Vance moved back to Ohio, where he became involved with several venture capital endeavors focused on middle America. Hillbilly Elegy was made into a Netflix movie, and Vance began making the rounds as a political commentator on cable news.

Rise to Political Stardom

When Vance first entered the political scene, it was as a top critic of Donald Trump. During a stint as a CNN contributor in 2016 and 2017, no one could’ve imagined that he would become Trump’s running mate just seven years later.

But shortly into Trump’s tenure, Vance, like many Americans, realized that he had misjudged the businessman and reality TV star. As Vance himself explains it, watching Trump follow through on his big promises – like bringing back manufacturing jobs and checking the creeping power of the federal bureaucracy – exposed the false narrative that the political establishment and media elites had built around Trump.

By 2020, Vance had become a top Trump supporter, turning his expert communication skills toward arguing in favor of the president’s re-election. Two years later, Trump chose Vance out of a crowded field to replace the retiring Rob Portman for Ohio’s open U.S. Senate seat.

Despite Vance’s past criticism of the former president, Trump said that Vance “gets it now, and I have seen that in spades.”

“He is our best chance for victory in what could be a very tough race,” Trump added. His instincts proved correct, as Vance carried the state by six points despite a strong challenge from Democrat Tim Ryan.

Onward to November

The stage is now set for a thrilling conclusion to an already eventful 2024 cycle. With both major party tickets confirmed, all that’s left is for the candidates to make their final pitches and voters to make a choice.

Shane Harris is a writer and political consultant from Southwest Ohio. He previously served in the Trump White House and as an aide to Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee. You can follow him on X @shaneharris513.