MILWAUKEE (KYW Newsradio) — An energized Republican Party has officially set its 2024 ticket for president and vice president with the official nomination of both former President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
As the nation has come to expect, Donald Trump did things his way, ending the suspense over his choice for running mate by announcing the selection on his Truth Social, while state delegations were doing their roll call at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump posted to his social media network.
Just minutes after that announcement became public and chants of “JD! JD!” broke out among the Ohio delegation in the arena, Trump’s son Eric announced Florida’s delegates, putting his father over the magic number to make him the official nominee for president.
The choice was not a surprise, as Vance was one of the three top contenders for Trump’s pick for vice president. Both Sen. Marco Rubio from Florida and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum were informed before Trump’s announcement that they had been turned down.
'Rust Belt' credibility
Trump says Vance is best suited for the role, based on his education and business history. Vance joined the U.S. Marine Corps out of high school and attended Ohio State University and Yale Law School. He rose to national fame with his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” about growing up in poverty in Ohio and Kentucky.
Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler says that Rust Belt resume is an advantage for Vance.
“We've been overlooked by a lot of the issues that are going on in Washington, D.C.,” said Cutler. “We've got the failed economic policies of this administration driving up costs for everyday items, from electricity to gasoline to food, and this is an environment that he understands.”
Vance had a chance to come down on the convention floor and talk to Pennsylvania delegates, and they are big fans, saying he could really shore up votes in important battleground states such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
“Being where he is from in Ohio and Kentucky and West Virginia — that Appalachia area — he knows western Pennsylvania and so many forgotten towns in Pennsylvania, like my hometown of Reading,” said Pennsylvania delegate and Reading businessman Jeff Bartos.
Pennsylvania House Republican Policy Committee Chair, Rep. Josh Kail, said Vance understands what's going on in the region. “He gets the importance of the energy industry. He gets the future of the Republican Party. I'm excited to have him on the ticket with President Trump.”
Vance has been a U.S. senator for less than two years, but he has really set himself apart in many ways as a very aggressive Trump supporter. That wasn’t always the case. Vance was a harsh critic in 2016, calling Trump a “moral disaster” and “America's Hitler,” but now he's a regular on the conservative TV circuit.
Vance’s voting record shows some history of bipartisan work, but he has also championed conservative causes, introducing a ban on gender affirming care and criticizing funding for Ukraine. If elected in November, Vance would become one of the youngest vice presidents in American history — and at a time when the advanced age of the Democratic and Republican candidates for president has raised doubts about their fitness for office.
'Fight, fight, fight'
It is a very positive crowd of delegates in Milwaukee, riding a wave of momentum after Trump’s debate with President Joe Biden. Now with the news of a federal judge in Florida earlier in the day dismissing the classified documents case against Trump, announced at the convention by Pennsylvania GOP Chairman Lawrence Tabas to a standing ovation, there is a feeling that things are starting to go the way of the Republican Party.
Coming off of Trump’s survival of an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally on Saturday, many Republican delegates have said the Party is energized entering the RNC.
Pennsylvania Congressman Dan Meuser was at the Trump rally Saturday. While there was a tragic loss of life, he said the former president’s response to the shooting, as his Secret Service detail carried him off stage, galvanized his supporters.
“With all that going on, to stand up, blood on his face, and put his fist up and tell everybody, ‘Keep fighting, it’s gonna be OK.’ That’s what he did,” he said.
Indeed, after the formalities at the start of the convention Monday, the crowd began chanting “Fight, fight, fight!” And delegates are very hopeful that they can ride the wave to a victory in November.
“It just has energized us more coming forward to the convention, that this guy just got shot at — an assassination attempt on his life … and he is still fighting for America,” added western Pennsylvania delegate Mike McMullen. “And he’s giving a fist bump and a thumbs up — who does that?”
The delegates agree violence has no place in American politics, and it’s time to remove the personal attacks and focus on policy.
Though even as Trump and Biden have separately made calls for unity in the aftermath of the weekend’s tragedy, there were some discordant moments Monday when some delegates showed their allegiances and openly jeered perceived enemies. For example, when Sen. Mitch McConnell announced the delegates from Kentucky during roll call, he was met with a pretty solid chorus of boos.
Pennsylvania RNC delegation chairman Jim Worthington said all eyes will be on the delegation from the battleground Keystone State this week.
“It’s important for us to be at our best,” said Worthington. “We’re going to be in the very front of the arena. People are going to be clamoring to speak to us. They’re going to be watching for our reactions, they’re going to be watching for our enthusiasm.”