DENVER — A whirlwind weekend in American politics ran right into the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, with all eyes on former President Donald Trump after an attempted assassination on Saturday.
Trump, who decided against delaying his arrival at the RNC, announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate on Monday.
“Vance checks off a lot of boxes for the Trump campaign. He's loyal to Trump. He shares the policy preferences, and he's got this tremendous back story," said Professor Robert Preuhs, the chair of political science at Metropolitan State University of Denver. “The big box that he checks is something that you can see when you place Ohio on that map. It borders Pennsylvania, it borders Michigan. It's close enough to Wisconsin to make a difference, and Vance's ability to reach out to those voters is what's really going to matter. Trump really only needs to win one of those in order to win the presidency.”
National Politics
Who is JD Vance, Trump's pick for vice president?
Vance is 39 years old and was elected to the Senate in 2022. In 2016, Vance wondered if Trump was "America's Hitler" in a text conversation with another lawmaker. During the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance called him “a total fraud" and “a moral disaster." Since then, Vance has changed his tune dramatically.
“I think that's part of the reason that he's a smart choice for President Trump. Basically, he took someone who was originally hesitant to support him, who was suspicious of some of his positions, but who took the time to see what President Trump actually delivered for the American people in office, completely changed his mind, and then they've been able to work together since then," said Kristi Burton Brown, the executive vice president of Advance Colorado and the former chair of the Colorado GOP.
Brown lauded Trump's selection, saying Vance is a veteran and father who can attract young voters.
“When is it going to be time to help young, new leaders come to the forefront and be ready to lead our nation after this presidential election? The Republican Party is offering that in JD Vance, and I think that's a great thing," Brown said.
Vance is well known for his novel, "Hillbilly Elegy," which was adapted into a movie.
"At its core, what "Hillbilly Elegy" really is is the story of the American Dream. It is the story of JD Vance growing up and the working class people around him that he saw as he was growing up," Brown said.
Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, said in a statement Vance "is more interested in his politics than in supporting Coloradans."
JD Vance supports a nationwide ban on abortion including exceptions for rape and incest survivors, calls Social Security and Medicare “roadblocks,” and has endorsed a January 6th rioter for Congress. Vance is more interested in his politics than in supporting Coloradans, and we look forward to defeating him and Donald Trump this fall.
"I think that's a statement from a party that knows they're going to lose in November," Brown said in response to Murib's statement. “Americans care about our border, we care about our economy... JD Vance has a great record on both of those, and so does President Trump. And that's why we're going to win in November.”
Preuhs said the reaction from Democrats is expected.
“I can't imagine a pick for the vice president of the Republican nomination to be supported by the Democrats. That just doesn't work, and vice versa," Preuhs said.
Trump is expected to speak on Thursday at the RNC.
