Donald Trump today chose US Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential candidate, and the Republican Party officially nominated Trump, the former president of the United States of America (USA), as its presidential candidate in the 2024 election at the national convention in Milwaukee, Reuters reports.
Later tonight at the convention in Milwaukee, Vance was officially selected as the vice presidential candidate.
"As Vice President, JD will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand by our troops and do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
The Reuters agency states that by choosing Vance, Trump elevated a politician who once harshly criticized him, but has since become one of his strongest defenders.
Trump announced the news of Vance's election on the Truth Social network, and it appeared at the beginning of the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
"After much consideration and consideration, and taking into account 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 also wrote on Truth Social.
The four-day GOP convention opened in Milwaukee two days after Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania, and hours after he scored a major legal victory when a federal judge dismissed one of Trump's criminal charges.
Trump is expected to formally accept the party's nomination in prime time on Thursday and will challenge incumbent US President Joseph Biden in the November 5 election.
The Beta agency states that the decision to make Trump a candidate was made after Trump collected enough delegate votes at the convention, and crossed the electoral threshold when delegate votes arrived from Florida, the federal state in which he was born.
Vance - staunch Republican
The election of James David Vance, author of the best-selling "A Peasant Elegy," could increase the chances of Trump supporters going to the polls on Nov. 5, as the Ohio senator is very popular among Republican candidates, according to Reuters.
The agency also writes that Vance, a staunch conservative from a Republican state, is unlikely to bring many new voters to Trump and may even turn away some moderates.
Reuters reports that some supporters have been pushing for Trump to choose a woman or person of color as his number two to expand the white-leaning coalition.
The former president, 78, survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday by a gunman whose motive remains unknown.
Reuters reports that Vance has delighted Trump supporters with his confrontational presence on social media, a relative rarity in the Senate, where many still try to maintain a sense of decorum and civility.
At the age of 39, Vance will represent the younger generation in the elections where the candidates will be Trump and current US President Joseph Biden (81), which is a counterweight to the Democratic list that also includes Vice President Kamala Harris (59).
Narrowing the choices, Rubio and Burgum were told they would not be candidates
Reuters reported earlier today that Trump had narrowed down his possible choices for vice presidential nominee when the two front-runners were told they would not get the job.
The agency said Trump is expected to reveal his vice presidential running mate soon, as the 2024 Republican National Convention began two days after Trump survived an assassination attempt.
Sources told Reuters that US Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have been told they will not be Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's running mate.
That left Vance as the leading candidate, although as Reuters previously reported, Trump could make a surprise choice and opt for someone whose name has not been announced on the short list of candidates.
Reuters also states that Trump's advisers considered Rubio's stay in Florida a disadvantage.
The Constitution of the United States of America (US) prohibits electors who formally choose the president and vice president from voting for both from their home state - and both Trump and Rubio call Florida home.
While Rubio likely could have overcome that hurdle by moving out of state, some advisers were wary that media coverage of such a move would hinder the campaign.
Rubio's supporters said that as a Latino, he could potentially expand Trump's base.
Trump, the former US president, is most popular among white Americans, although he has made significant progress among Hispanic Americans over the years.
Burgum, a relative unknown nationally who made his fortune investing in software companies, could appeal to business-minded Republicans. His low-key approach to politics would fit well with Trump, who prefers to be in the spotlight.
But he also signed one of the nation's strictest anti-abortion laws, taking a conservative stance on an issue seen as vulnerable for Trump.
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