- author, Mike Wendling
- role, BBC News, Republican Convention
-
President Donald Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, vowed in a prime-time speech to fight for working-class Americans who he says have been “ignored and forgotten” by the Democratic Party.
The Ohio senator introduced himself to millions of Americans watching at home, recalling his humble Midwestern origins as he blasted “career politicians” like President Joe Biden.
Speaking at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he claimed Trump was the American people’s “last best hope.”
Trump and his running mate will challenge the Democratic White House field currently made up of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the November election.
Biden’s X account (formerly Twitter) criticized Vance’s positions on abortion and Ukraine on Wednesday night.
At 39, Vance is hoping to become one of the youngest vice presidents in U.S. history.
In his speech, he recounted his journey from a difficult childhood in small town Ohio to serving in the U.S. Marines, Yale Law School and eventually becoming a U.S. Senator.
The author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” a best-selling memoir about a poor family in the Appalachian coal country, said the “American ruling class” has destroyed communities like his through trade deals and foreign wars.
“From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnant wages, the people who govern this country have failed time and time again,” he said.
He continued: “Donald Trump is America’s last best hope for restoring what, if lost, may never be found again.”
“A country where a working-class boy far from the seats of power can get on this stage.”
The vice presidential candidate, who is married to lawyer Usha Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants, said the United States has traditionally welcomed newcomers but should not import foreign workers.
“When we accept new entrants, we accept them on our terms,” he said.
Vance has been a former opponent of Trump, once dismissing the Republican as a “fool” who could become “the American Hitler.”
Image source, Getty Images
Then a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, he later reconciled with Trump.
He was elected to the Senate in 2022 with the support of the former president and took office the following year.
Democrats have attacked some of Vance’s past statements, including his comments that he “really doesn’t care” about what happens in Ukraine and his support for a nationwide abortion ban.
He has recently softened his stance on abortion, bringing him in line with the official Republican platform, which says the issue should be decided by each state.
During his speech, he did not mention the war in Ukraine and barely spoke about foreign policy, the theme of the third day of the party conference.
Vance said America’s allies must share the burden of ensuring world peace and that the United States would avoid conflict but would “hit hard” if provoked under a second Trump administration.
He began his speech by speaking about the assassination attempt on President Trump that took place last Saturday.
“They denounced him as a tyrant,” he said. “They said he must be stopped at all costs. But how did he respond? He called for national unity and national peace.”
Shortly after the attack, Vance blamed the attack on Biden’s comments and his warning that his Republican rival posed a threat to democracy.
Most Americans knew very little about him until Wednesday night.
A CNN poll conducted last month found that 13% of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Vance and 20% had an unfavorable opinion, while nearly two-thirds had never heard of him or had no opinion.
Some convention attendees on Wednesday said they were still learning about his background.
Louisiana Republican delegates Cindy Dore and Jackie Cannon said they were thrilled by Trump’s election.
“He’s young and vibrant,” Dore said.
She praised “Hillbilly Elegy” but said she didn’t know much about Mr. Vance other than that.
The speech came shortly after it was announced that President Biden had contracted COVID-19 and was temporarily suspending his campaign activities.
The climax of the Republican Convention will be Donald Trump’s speech on Thursday night.
Chris Devine, an associate professor of political science at the University of Dayton and co-author of Does Running Mate Matter?, told the BBC that the choice of running mate has only a small impact on the overall campaign.
“If people look at J.D. Vance and think he’s inexperienced, they’re going to think less of Donald Trump and his judgment,” he said. “It’s not going to make a huge difference, but there’s a small chance it will.”
But Devine also noted that Vance is an “incredibly skilled communicator” despite being a relative newcomer to the political world.
Additional reporting by Kayla Epstein and Brandon Livesay
