Everything to Know About Donald Trump's VP Pick J.D. Vance in 10 Clicks
July 22 2024, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Donald Trump Named J.D. Vance as His Running Mate
Former President Donald Trump officially chose Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate ahead of the 2024 presidential election, NBC News reported on Monday, July 15.
Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida were among Trump's prospects. Still, the ex-POTUS picked Vance as he decided the Ohio senator was "best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States."
J.D. Vance's Personal Life
Born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio, J.D. was enlisted in the Marine Corps from 2003 to 2007 after graduating from Middletown High School in 2003. He served as a corporal with the Public Affairs section of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing during his time in the service branch.
“I served my country honorably, and I saw when I went to Iraq that I had been lied to — that the promises of the foreign policy establishment were a complete joke,” he said.
He then attended the Ohio State University and Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance.
J.D. Vance Has a Wife and Children
J.D. and Usha tied the knot in 2014, a year after graduating from law school. They also held a separate ceremony to be blessed by a Hindu pundit.
They are parents to their three children: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.
J.D. Vance Released a Memoir in 2016
Published on June 28, 2016, J.D.'s Hillbilly Elegy helped him get into politics and introduce himself to the Trump family. He became friends with Donald's son Donald Trump Jr. through the book.
“There is a lack of agency here [in Middletown] — a feeling that you have little control over your life and a willingness to blame everyone but yourself,” J.D. wrote in his memoir.
The book became a Netflix flick, starring Glenn Close and Amy Adams, in 2020.
He Marked His First Public Office in 2022
Vance is a controversial running mate who has drawn criticism for his sexist comments about “childless cat ladies”.
J.D. announced his Senate campaign in Ohio on July 1, 2021, going on to beat Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan on November 8, 2022, with Donald's backing.
“You’re not always going to agree with every vote that I take, and you’re not going to agree with every single amendment that I offer in the United States Senate, but I will never forget the woman who raised me,” he told the audience after his win.
J.D. Vance Was Once a Donald Trump Critic
J.D. was among the ex-president's harshest critics before becoming Donald's greatest ally ahead of the 2024 election.
According to CNN's KFile, he liked harsh tweets that lambasted Donald in 2016 and 2017. He also wondered whether Donald was "America's Hitler" and called him a "cultural heroin."
However, J.D.'s view of Donald reversed upon meeting him in 2021, saying the latter's accomplishments as president played a role in the change.
“I was certainly skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016, but President Trump was a great president and he changed my mind,” he said. “I think he changed the minds of a lot of Americans, because again he delivered that peace and prosperity.”
He Is a Practicing Catholic
J.D., 39, was baptized as a Catholic in August 2019. He was initially raised Christian but later identified himself as an atheist while attending Ohio State University.
He Disapproves of U.S. Support for Ukraine
Over the past few years, J.D. has expressed his disapproval of U.S. Support for Ukraine.
During the Munich Security Conference in February, he shared his thoughts about the U.S.'s continuous aid to Ukraine.
"Given the realities that we face, the very real constraints in munitions and manpower, what is reasonable to accomplish and when do we actually think we're going to accomplish it? And my argument is, look, I think what's reasonable to accomplish is some negotiated peace," J.D. said. "This will end in a negotiated peace. The question is when it ends in a negotiated peace and what that looks like."
Instead of Ukraine and Europe, J.D. suggested the U.S. shift the focus toward Asia.
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J.D. Vance Reacted to Donald Trump's Assassination Attempt
Trump has claimed Biden's positive COVID test was phony, and demanded he resign.
Following the attempted assassination on Donald, J.D. posted a status on X to declare that what happened was not "just some isolated incident."
"The central premise of the [Joe] Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs," the tweet read. "That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."
He also called for full-scale investigation "because clearly mistakes were made."
J.D. Vance Could Make History If He Wins the Election
Vance said the country was being run by ‘childless cat ladies’ in a now-viral 2021 Fox News interview.
J.D. became the first millennial to ever run for vice president. If he and Donald win, he would also be the third-youngest vice president in history, following John C. Breckinridge, who was 36 years and 47 days old when he took office, and Richard M. Nixon (40 years and 11 days old).
