On Monday, Donald Trump announced right-wing Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate for the US presidential election, rewarding a former critic turned loyal supporter.
The announcement came on the first day of the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, amid heightened tension following an attempted assassination of the former president.
Vance, 39, a prominent advocate of Trump’s isolationist and anti-immigration America First movement, has embraced Trump’s populism.
Despite being one of the least experienced vice-presidential picks in modern history, the one-term senator has positioned himself further to the right than Trump on various issues, including advocating for federal abortion legislation.
Vance gained national attention with his 2016 memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” which chronicled his Appalachian upbringing and resonated with rural, working-class Americans.
However, his past criticism of Trump, including calling him an “idiot” and “reprehensible,” has resurfaced, though Vance has since realigned himself as a staunch Trump supporter, securing the ex-president’s endorsement in the 2022 Ohio Senate race.
Trump’s announcement was overshadowed by a recent assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally. The former president, appearing with a bandage on his ear and a bruise on his forearm, addressed the incident, expressing defiance and determination.
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“I’m not supposed to be here, I’m supposed to be dead,” Trump told the New York Post en route to Milwaukee, where the convention continued under heightened security. The Secret Service assured that they were “fully prepared” to ensure safety at the event.
Despite being convicted in a hush-money criminal case and facing multiple legal challenges, Trump remains confident, leading in numerous polls. He secured another legal victory as a judge dismissed a case against him involving the mishandling of classified documents.
Trump aims to deliver a strong message against President Joe Biden’s administration and has called for unity, despite his history of divisive rhetoric. The convention, reflecting Trump’s influence on the Republican Party, features his loyalists and family members, emphasizing his continued dominance in GOP politics.
With the slogan “Make America Great Once Again” displayed prominently, the Milwaukee convention underscores Trump’s reshaping of the party and his unwavering influence on its direction.
