Trump vice president pick; J.D. Vance selected on Day 1 of RNC
MILWAUKEE - Former President Donald Trump selected Ohio Senator J.D. Vance on Monday, July 15 to be his vice presidential running mate. The announcement comes on the first day of the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
Trump made the announcement on Truth Social.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 27: U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) speaks to reporters in the spin room following the CNN Presidential Debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at the McCamis
Vance is a former venture capitalist and has held his Senate seat for the state of Ohio for less than two years. He rose to national prominence due to his bestselling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," and established himself as one of the fiercest defenders of Trump's "Make America Great Again" agenda.
Despite his early criticism of Trump, Vance has been close with the former president and his son Donald Trump Jr., who has talked up the senator. Vance has become a fixture of the conservative media circuit.
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J.D. Vance will be Donald Trump's running mate in 2024
J.D. Vance, a one-time "Never Trumper," has since endorsed the former president. Now he's Donald Trump's pick as running mate and potential vice president.
Other frontrunners
The other frontrunners for Trump's vice president were Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota.
Doug Burgum
Burgum is a former two-term governor of North Dakota. Before he became governor, he led a software company that was acquired by Microsoft for more than $1 billion.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 27: Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) speaks to reporters in the spin room following the CNN Presidential Debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at the McCamish
He also dabbled in real estate development and venture capital and spent millions on his own presidential campaign.
While Burgum ran against Trump in 2024, the two have become friendly. Both he and his wife, Kathryn, have gotten along well with Trump and his team.
Marco Rubio
Serving as a senator from Florida since 2011, Rubio could help expand Trump’s appeal should he be chosen as his running mate.
Rubio established himself as a respected voice on foreign policy and national security issues and being the son of Cuban immigrants, he speaks Spanish which could have helped Trump win the Hispanic voters.
DORAL, FLORIDA - JULY 09: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) attends a campaign rally for former President Donald Trump at the Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 09, 2024 in Doral, Florida. Trump continues to campaign ahead of the Republican National Conven
However, Rubio ran against Trump in 2016 for the GOP nomination and the pair viciously attacked one another.
Another issue the pair face is Trump’s criminal case out of Florida. The Constitution says two candidates from the same state cannot run as president and vice president, meaning Rubio would need to change his residency — something he is reportedly willing to do.
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Other names in the fold
Tim Scott
Scott is currently serving as a senator from South Carolina and is the only Black Republican in the Senate. What’s more, Scott and Trump worked closely together while Trump was in the White House on a host of policy issues, including Trump's tax cuts, opportunity zones, and criminal justice reform legislation.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 27: U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks to reporters in the spin room following the CNN Presidential Debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump at the McCami
After failing to secure his White House bid this year, Scott endorsed Trump and immediately began campaigning on the former president’s behalf.
He continues to make frequent appearances on television and recently launched a $14 million campaign to win over minority voters in seven key swing states.
Elise Stefanik
A U.S. representative from New York, and the only woman on Trump’s shortlist, Stefanik could have potentially helped Trump win over the college-educated suburban women who voted for Biden back in 2020.
Stefanik used to be an aide to former House Speaker Paul Ryan and served during President George W. Bush’s time at the White House.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 21: Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) speaks at the Faith and Freedom Road to Majority conference at the Washington Hilton on June 21, 2024 in Washington, DC. The conservative Christian group is hosting a series of congressional member
She defended Trump in both of his impeachment trials and spoke out against his criminal indictments.
"I'm proud to be one of the strongest supporters of President Trump. And my district really tells the story of today's growing Republican Party," she told FOX News Digital. "It is Trump country and Elise country now."
Stefanik was also one of the first members of the Republican House leadership to endorse Trump in 2022.
Ben Carson
Carson served as secretary of housing and urban development during Trump’s presidency.
The pair have developed a strong bond despite running against each other in 2016.
Carson could have potentially helped Trump win over the minority voters as he was the first Black person to ever be named on a Republican presidential ticket.
Byron Donalds
Donalds serves as a U.S. representative out of Florida. He has become one of the most prominent conservative Black supporters of Trump and could help bolster the former president’s appeal to Black voters.
Donalds is a fresh face and would have helped mark a stark contrast to both men who are the top of the Republican and Democratic parties’ tickets.
But, similar to Rubio, Donalds would have to leave the state of Florida due to Trump’s ongoing classified documents case.
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Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson held a news conference on the opening day of the Republican National Convention.
Catherine Stoddard, The Associated Press, and FOX News contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.