Although we knew it at some point, the last thing on people’s minds immediately after the first assassination attempt on Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on July 13 was who he would nominate as his vice presidential running mate.
But he had to do it, and soon, since the Republican National Convention was the following week.
In the run-up to Trump’s final announcement, many names had been circulated, including those of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.
But on the first day of the RNC, the former president announced on his Truth Social account that he was nominating Senator JD Vance (R-OH) for vice president, and from that point on, many people outside of Ohio who didn’t know much about Vance set out to get to know him better, asking questions about his track record and what he might contribute to the national candidacy – and to the country if elected.
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I’ll admit that I haven’t followed Vance too closely since his election victory, other than watching him run a nearly flawless Senate campaign against Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) in 2022. The reason for that is that I’ve learned not to expect much from first-term politicians, at least for the first year or so, as they learn the ropes, get to know the players in the game, know how to get things done, etc.
What I have seen from him, however, has impressed me: His willingness to negotiate tough with Attorney General Merrick Garland on Justice Department nominations in response to her lawfare tactics against Trump, the introduction of a bill to repeal federal mask mandates, and his bill to punish sanctuary cities for “undermining border security” are all among the highlights of his first two years in the Senate.
But beyond his record in the Senate so far and the inspiring story of how he made it as a adolescent man, there is something else that has impressed me about Vance: the way he has conducted himself since becoming Trump’s running mate.
He has a stature and seriousness that says, “I’m here and I mean business,” but he’s also not afraid to be charmingly self-deprecating when the situation calls for it. He also doesn’t back down from a fight and is armed with receipts so he can drop them when challenged.
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Although he dislikes the media and is known for challenging them, this is often not because they question him, but because they not not sufficiently challenging the Democratic list with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
In other words, Vance has no problem answering questions and explaining his views, but he is demanding more from the industry that should be holding the powerful to account but so often fails to do so as long as there is a (D) next to its name.
Vance’s statement on Monday regarding the second assassination attempt on Trump was one of the most powerful statements I have read from a politician in a long time. It is, in my view, an affirmation that in the two months he was on the campaign trail as Trump’s vice president, Vance rose to the occasion and proved his worth and ability in a relatively compact period of time – unlike Walz and many other vice presidential candidates in previous presidential campaigns.
Both Trump and Vance have in the (fairly recent) past used many words to downplay the importance of choosing a vice president. But I think if Joe Biden’s presidency has shown us beyond a doubt, it is that choosing a vice president very significant and can very Consequences for further development – and sometimes much faster than expected, as was the case with Harris.
I won’t make any predictions about how the November election will turn out. But I will say that a Trump-Vance victory will be good not only for Republicans in 2028, but for the country over the next four years. And not just because Trump can make America great again, but also because Vance can make the vice presidency great – and respectable – again.
FLASHBACK: JD Vance hits back at Kamala Harris after she questioned his loyalty: What have YOU done for the country?
