Behind the Curtain: Why J.D.
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Sen. J.D. Vance greets President Trump last night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Photo: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) — picked yesterday as President Trump's running-mate — could potentially extend Trumpism far into the future, leaving the White House as late as 2037 if he were to win twice on his own.
Why it matters: The freshman senator, age 39, instantly becomes the frontrunner for the 2028 Republican presidential race, and was by far the most aggressively Trumpy of the three finalists.
Trump loved the veepstakes drama, and milked it until hours before the Republican convention opened yesterday afternoon in Milwaukee.
- Trump had told friends for several days that it was Vance, and people very close to Trump have been telling us for weeks that every sign pointed to Vance. But Trump is Trump, so no one wanted to go out on a limb and guarantee Vance was the pick.
Behind the scenes: With the race's new dynamics after Saturday's assassination attempt, a secret lobbying campaign continued into yesterday morning, with Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson and tech investor David Sacks all calling Trump to try to lock in Vance.
- It wasn't until midday yesterday that the other two runners-up, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), got left at the altar.
- Carlson, who has a prime-time speaking slot at the convention, told us the logic for Vance "is that he doesn't secretly hate Trump, as all the rest of them do. He fundamentally agrees with Trump. That's precisely why neocon donors [who want more aid for Ukraine] fear him."
- Vance also had the most chemistry with Trump, who got to know him after Don Jr. pushed his dad to endorse Vance for Senate in 2022. Trump has genuine affection for Vance — rare for Trump, and a real change from his reasoning for picking Mike Pence in 2016.
Trumpworld insiders tell us these were key factors in sealing the deal for Vance:
- Youth & vigor: Vance, who turns 40 in two weeks, is half Trump's age. He looks young, talks young, projects young. Trump advisers see young white, Black, and Hispanic men as rich targets for new voters. Vance, who'd be the first millennial in the White House, will be a key messenger.
- Smart: Vance can put an intellectual wrapper around Trump's red meat. The guy evolved from Trump-hater to Trump-lover, and has offered long, detailed and historic arguments for Trump's policies. (Prime example: nearly two hours with N.Y. Times' Ross Douthat).
- American Dream bio: James David Vance grew up in a broken Rust Belt home in Middletown, Ohio, with deep ties to Appalachia. His parents divorced when he was a toddler, and his mother struggled with substance abuse. He was raised by his grandmother, called Mamaw. (She owned 19 handguns, according to his Senate bio.) Vance enlisted in the Marines, served in Iraq, graduated from The Ohio State University on the G.I. bill, and got a Yale Law degree. He was elected to the Senate on his first try.
- Storyteller: He wrote one of the most influential books of the past decade — the best-selling "Hillbilly Elegy," which explains the rage of working-class America against elites that propelled Trump into office. The lens: his own life. The campaign says his bio appeals not just to working-class people but also to suburban women — voters Trump is working hard to attract. "All you have to do is show people the movie," says one Vance adviser, referring to the Netflix adaptation of "Hillbilly Elegy."
- Smooth talker: He has tirelessly defended Trump on cable news — which remains one of the surest ways to Trump's heart. Vance relishes sparring with adversarial media, and Trump has told friends Vance will offer an ideal debate contrast with Vice President Kamala Harris.
- New money: Vance — once a venture capitalist working with Ron Klain at Steve Case's Revolution investment fund — has relationships that'll open new GOP fundraising frontiers with Silicon Valley and crypto entrepreneurs.
What's next: We're told the Trump campaign plans to park Vance in Pennsylvania for the next four months, with side trips to Michigan and Wisconsin — using his Rust Belt appeal to try to deny President Biden those Blue Wall states, which he absolutely must win.
