With former President Donald Trump expected to announce his vice presidential candidate soon, some prospective picks seem to be faring better than others in Trump’s and the public’s eye.
Among those to see their recent stock rise is Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), who has become a rising option for the former president since his handling of the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment that spilled hazardous materials.
Like many Trump VP hopefuls, Vance has been seen at numerous events hosted by the former president, on the campaign trail, and at his Mar-A-Lago estates in Florida.
Vance also made an appearance at Trump’s New York hush money trial alongside Speaker Mike Johnson and other top Republicans.
Now, allies of the 39-year-old Republican who won his seat in 2022 are saying that he could soon become the face of the party with his outspoken and public approach to supporting things like being tough on the border while opposing US aid for Ukraine.
However, Vance has also reached across the aisle on several occasions, working with collaborators like Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN), who is running for Senate in Indiana, shared in an interview with The Hill that Vance is among those being looked to as a younger Republican with many years of service still ahead of him.
“I view him as the future of our party, the most articulate populist conservative voice in our country, and believe that he’d make a great vice president,” Banks said.
The Hill also received a statement about Vance from Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr. The younger Trump gave Vance a glowing remark, sharing that he is among the strongest in the party.
“Not only has J.D. been a leader for the America First policy agenda in the Senate, he has been a courageous warrior for my father defending him from all of the leftwing lawfare coming from the Swamp,” Trump Jr. said. “While too many Republicans are weak and crumble when things get tough, J.D. has a spine of steel and isn’t afraid to fight.”
Vance’s advancement in the ranks of VP hopefuls comes as others seem to be falling out of the race, like South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R).
Noem came under fire in April after The Guardian reported on her new book, “No Going Back.” In the book, the governor detailed how she killed her 14-month-old dog, writing that she brought it to a gravel pit on her property and shot it.
The fallout from the report seems to have been a firestorm for Noem, who experts say doesn’t seem to be among those being considered by Trump anymore.
Still, the former president has yet to indicate which direction he will go, and other top prospects, like Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), continue to play coy about what’s going on behind the scenes.
“There’s a lot of names that are in the mix,” Stefanik said, speaking to Fox News last month. “I’m honored to have my name as one of them in the mix right now.”