Donald Trump's choice of Senator JD Vance as his 2024 running mate is a "massive gift to Democrats," according to one political commentator, while a prominent political scientist told Newsweek it's a pick you make "when you're already confident in your likelihood of winning."
Trump announced the Ohio senator would be his vice presidential pick on Monday via a post on Truth Social. In it, he said Vance would be "strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond."
The selection was made just two days after Trump survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania, which saw him take a gunshot wound to the ear in an attack that also killed one of the presumptive Republican nominee's supporters.
Speaking to Newsweek, Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London, said Trump picking Vance is a sign of his confidence for November.
"JD Vance is the kind of pick you make when you're already confident in your likelihood of winning," Vance said. "He doesn't balance out the ticket demographically like a woman or a minority. Vance may help secure the swing state of Ohio, but Trump already won there in both 2016 and 2020. This is largely Trump doubling down on his MAGA, populist nationalism."
Kaivan Shroff, a Democratic political commentator with over 120,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter, posted on Monday that "Trump picking Vance is a massive gift to Democrats in this fraught moment. Vance is unqualified, Tucker Carlson level unhinged, incredibly unlikable, and has flubbed several high-profile interviews already.
"Oh and Kamala Harris is gonna own him if they debate."
Newsweek reached out to Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign and Senator JD Vance's congressional office for comment via email on Tuesday outside of usual office hours.
Speaking on Monday before Vance's selection was announced, polling guru Nate Silver said the senator was the "worst" of four potential Trump picks.
He wrote on X: "Pre-registering VP take: Seems like the 4 most likely picks are Vance, Rubio, Burgum, Youngkin. For pure electoral purposes, Youngkin is the best pick and Vance is the worst. Also probably won't matter hugely."
However, after the announcement, Ben Shapiro, co-founder of the conservative media network The Daily Wire, welcomed Vance's selection.
In an X post, Shapiro said, "As a friend put it, Vance is truly a 'f*** it, we ride!' pick from Trump. Demonstrates real confidence — and shows that he wants a bulldog. Vance is certainly that. In terms of pure IQ and speaking ability, Vance is the best candidate Trump could pick."
Vance's selection proved popular with Trump's MAGA movement, including House Republican Lauren Boebert, who said: "AMERICA is going to be SO GREAT AGAIN! Trump/Vance is the most America First ticket in presidential history. This is going to be a true great restoration of our country!"
Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative campaign group Turning Point USA, posted, "BREAKING: JD Vance is President Trump's Vice President pick. A great choice by Trump. Let's win this thing."
In 2022, comments emerged from 2016 in which Vance told an associate that Trump could be "America's Hitler."
In the text message, Vance allegedly said: "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a****** like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler."
At the time, a spokesperson for Vance didn't dispute that he'd sent the message but insisted it no longer reflected his views.
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James Bickerton is a Newsweek U.S. News reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is covering U.S. politics and world ... Read more
