Making a solid choice for running mate is by and large the most impactful thing former President Donald Trump can do between now and election day. This is particularly important in this cycle for two key reasons. First, it’s the biggest way to potentially sway the few voters who have yet to make up their minds. The second reason is one that amplifies the first in a major way: Trump, if elected, may not actually serve his entire term. Sadly, he is of the age that anything health-wise could happen at any time. He will also be facing remaining legal issues which could ultimately lead to a Constitutional crisis and certainly multiple attempts by Democrats to remove him from office. If they don’t succeed right away, you can be sure they’ll try again in 2026 when/if they take the Senate.
That wouldn’t be a good thing, obviously, for Trump or the country. If he manages to win a second term - assuming he continues to do things I like - I will be right there rooting for him to serve the entire four years. But, here in the real world, the odds of that happening are probably lower than the odds of Trump leaving office to his vice president at some point before 2029. And even if he does finish out, his VP pick will almost certainly be a favorite for the GOP nomination in 2028.
So yeah, Trump’s running mate selection is critically important, probably more so than the VP pick of any other major presidential candidate in decades. Not only can this person help the GOP ticket win, he or she may very well become the next President of the United States.
Enter Republican Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, the only logical choice for Trump’s running mate.
Vance is a well-liked senator who easily won an election in a swing state where the other senator is a Democrat and the governor is a Republican squish. He’s also not only based as hell on every issue that matters, particularly the issues that propelled Trump to victory in 2016, but he’s one of the best in the country at articulating those positions to ordinary working-class voters. In an election where almost every voter in the country has made up their minds yet still promises to be razor thin, convincing even a subset of voters to switch their political allegiance will be more critical than ever.
Hillbilly Elegy, the Ohio senator’s autobiography of coming from hardscrabble Appalachian roots to serving as a U.S. Marine in the Iraq War and eventually graduating from Yale Law School, displays a deep understanding of the brand of working-class Americans it will take to win back the Rust Belt from Democrats, as Trump did in 2016. Vance can speak to these folks because he is one of them.
But even better, Vance is also in the unique position of being able to speak to Trump skeptics thanks to his political evolution from NeverTrumper to staunch Trump supporter. He is held in high regard by the MAGA movement, so he won’t lose any votes there, but he just might be able to convince some people who wouldn’t otherwise vote for Trump that it is in their best interests to do so.
As the icing on the cake, can you imagine what J.D. Vance would do to Kamala Harris in a debate? The ensuing massacre would make headlines like no other VP debate has since Lloyd Bentsen ‘Jack Kennedy’d’ Dan Quayle. Viral clips would be playing on social media for weeks right up until election day.
Finally, and this is where it really gets interesting, Vance would provide a unique backstop against any Deep State actions against Trump, whether that be - God forbid - an assassination or even less lethal attempts to remove him from office. The last thing these people want is J.D. Vance in the White House, and that is exactly what they’d get if they removed Trump.
Vance is eloquent and articulate, looks the part, is right on the political positions, will expand the GOP base like no other running mate could, and could keep the Deep State from removing Trump from office. He would also be a refreshing choice for those tired of the race and gender pandering that typically goes into these types of positions. Would Tim Scott, for example, result in moving the needle on the black vote one iota? Would more women in Michigan vote Trump simply because Tulsi Gabbard is on the ticket, especially compared to voters who would be turned off by her other positions? The answer to both those questions is a resounding “no.”
If I were Trump, I would choose J.D. Vance immediately and put him to work making endless campaign stops in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania speaking to issues that matter to voters who have been devastated by Democratic economic policies. It’s an obvious choice, and as much of a no-brainer as anything I’ve seen in politics.