As former President Donald Trump prepares to announce his Vice Presidential pick at the Republican National Committee Convention, there are a couple of choices he could make that would improve his chances of winning.
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One of those finalists to become Trump’s VP is J.D. Vance. He is a military veteran and U.S. Senator from Ohio, embodies the values of the working class, and has a strong understanding of Trump’s political vision. Vance’s political acumen and alignment with Trump on key issues, such as foreign policy and border security, make him a strong candidate. Vance being on the ticket would bolster Trump’s support in crucial Rust Belt states, such as Michigan and Wisconsin.
There are plenty of pros to choosing Vance as VP, and although Trump has said he won’t announce his vice presidential pick until the Republican National Convention, it seems like Vance, Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and Dr. Ben Carson are atop the list of finalists. But then again, Trump could surprise everybody and choose someone who has not been mentioned at all as a VP option.
However, there are also some cons for Vance, not least of which would be leaving his Senate seat vacant and risking a Democrat winning that seat. There are also his negative comments about Trump in 2016, which the mainstream media could continue to hammer up until the November election. The reality is that many people opposed Trump as the GOP nominee back then, but things change. Several of those critics have come around, finding common ground on policies, and are on board for another four years of a Trump presidency.
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Trump mentioned Vance’s comments in April of 2022:
They appear to have cleared the air and are on good terms, especially since Vance is one of the front-runners to become VP, and Vance is one of Trump’s fiercest defenders when speaking to the media.
Putting the cons aside, Vance is effective and a true believer in policy. At the end of the day, what matters is where a potential running mate stands on policy and, more importantly, that they don’t waver on those policy stances.
As noted above, Doug Burgum is considered a top contender and would also be a strong choice for Trump, but he could serve better in a cabinet position than VP. Dr. Ben Carson is still in the conversation as well. Frankly, any of the three would be a strong choice.
So, should Vance ultimately be picked as VP? It seems that many would want to keep all the Senate seats intact and not risk a Democrat winning another seat. However, Vance’s military background, intelligence, unwavering policy stances, his time in the venture capital world, and Yale Law School degree make him a strong choice. I believe Vance should be the VP pick for the reasons listed above and because he can assist Trump in fundraising with non-traditional GOP donors.
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It’s worth noting that Vance organized the Trump fundraiser with David Sacks in Silicon Valley earlier this month, which raked in $12 million.