Though we knew at some point it was coming, the last thing people were thinking about in the immediate aftermath of the first assassination attempt on GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump on July 13th was who he would pick as his vice presidential running mate.
But make it he would have to do and soon, considering the Republican National Convention was the following week.
Many names had been bandied about ahead of Trump’s eventual announcement, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem.
But on Day One of the RNC, the former president announced via his Truth Social account that Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) was his VP pick, and from that point forward, a lot of folks outside of Ohio who didn’t know much about Vance set about getting to know him better, asking questions about his record and what he potentially could bring to a national ticket – and the country if elected.
READ MORE: JD Vance Delivers Passionate Speech at the RNC, Shows Why He’s the Epitome of the American Dream
I admit that beyond watching him run a close-to-flawless 2022 Senate campaign against Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), I didn’t follow Vance too closely after his election victory. The reason why is I’ve learned not to expect much out of first-term politicians at least for the first year or so as they learn the ropes, get to know the players in the game, how to get things done, etc.
What I did see from him impressed me, though: his willingness to play hardball with Attorney Gen. Merrick Garland over DOJ nominees in response to their lawfare tactics against Trump, his introduction of a bill to ban federal mask mandates, and his bill to punish sanctuary cities for “undermining border security” are all part of the highlight reel of his first two years in the Senate.
But beyond his Senate record so far and the inspiring back story of how he made something of himself as a young man, something else that has seriously impressed me about Vance is how he’s handled himself since becoming Trump’s running mate.
He’s got a stature and seriousness about him that says “I’m here and I mean business,” but he’s also not afraid to be charmingly self-deprecating when the occasion calls for it. He also doesn’t back down from a fight and comes armed with receipts so he can start dropping them when challenged.
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While he’s not fond of the media and has been known to call them out, oftentimes it’s not because they’re questioning him but because they’re not doing enough questioning of the Democratic ticket of VP Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
In other words, Vance has no problem answering questions and explaining his positions but he demands better of the industry that is supposed to hold the powerful accountable but so often doesn’t as long as there is a (D) beside their name.
Vance’s Monday statement on the second attempt on Trump’s life was one of the most powerful things I’ve read in a long time come from any political leader, and in my view confirmed that in the two months he’s been on the campaign trail as Trump’s veep choice Vance has risen to the occasion, proving his worth and mettle in a relatively short amount of time – unlike Walz and many VP picks in past presidential election campaign seasons.
Both Trump and Vance have in so many words in the (fairly recent) past downplayed the importance of who a nominee picks as their running mate. But I think if there’s anything Joe Biden’s presidency has shown us beyond a shadow of a doubt is that vice presidential picks very much matter and can be very consequential on down the line – and sometimes much sooner than anticipated, as has been the case with Harris.
I won’t make any predictions for how the November election is going to play out. But I will say that if Trump and Vance win, it won’t just be good for Republicans headed into 2028 but it’ll be good for the country for the next four years. And not just because Trump can make America great again but because Vance can make the vice presidency great – and respectable – again, too.
