Who is JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance?
Usha Vance, the wife of Ohio Sen. JD Vance was thrust into the national spotlight after former President Donald Trump chose her husband as his running mate Monday. Usha Vance, née Chilukuri, born in 1986, was raised in San Diego, California, and attended Yale Law School, where she met the future Ohio senator, according to a report from the New York Times. “We were friends, and I liked that he was very diligent,” she told NBC News about how she met her husband in a 2017 interview. “He would show up at 9 a.m. appointments that I would set up for us to start working on the brief together.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE “The thing that I remember most about Usha is just how completely forward and comfortable with herself she was,” the Ohio senator said of his wife during the interview. “(She was) so defensive about the things that she really cared about.” Before law school, Vance received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale and a master’s in Philosophy from the University of Cambridge. The pair married in 2014 and have three children together: sons, Ewan, 6, and Vivek, 4, and a daughter, Mirabel, 2. Vance completed multiple clerkships after her graduation from Yale, according to an Axios report, including for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. FOX NEWS LEARNS BURGUM, RUBIO, INFORMED AHEAD OF VANCE ANNOUNCEMENT THEY WOULDN’T BE NAMED RUNNING MATE She would later work for Munger, Tolles & Olson, a California law firm that described its culture as “radically progressive,” the report notes. Vance has also worked to defend the University of California against allegations it violated Title IX and the Walt Disney Company against claims of copyright infringement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP The wife and mother of three has in the past expressed skepticism of the possibility that her husband could be Trump’s vice presidential pick, telling Fox News last month such a decision would change the couple’s lives. “I’m not raring to change anything about our lives right now,” she said while noting she is “open” to whatever happens. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Jockeying begins over Vance’s Senate seat after Trump nominates running mate
MILWAUKEE – The behind-the-scenes jockeying for who would replace Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, in the Senate has already begun just hours after former President Trump nominated the first-term lawmaker as his running mate. Names already being floated include Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio, former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, Fox News Digital is told. The choice will be up to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who would appoint someone to finish Vance’s term. Carey, who has strong relationships with both Trump and DeWine, reached out to DeWine shortly after Vance was selected, a source familiar with the discussion said. They also met last week on a separate matter. That source pointed out that Carey had a voting record that lines up with DeWine’s principles but was also endorsed by Trump for re-election. RALLYGOERS DOUBLE DOWN ON TRUMP SUPPORT AFTER WITNESSING HARROWING ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: ‘WE FIGHT HARDER’ A spokesperson for Carey said in response to the speculation, “From his decade serving in the military to the day he was sworn into office, Congressman Carey has been dedicated to service. He remains focused on representing Ohio’s 15th district in Congress.” DeWine, widely regarded as part of the establishment wing of the party, is likely to face pressure from Trump loyalists to appoint a candidate in line with Trump’s agenda and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramswamy has been floated as a possibility. Ramaswamy indicated he was interested in the potential vacancy when reached by Fox News Digital. “I have rock-solid conviction that JD will be an outstanding VP for President Trump. The only negative is this leaves our side missing one of our best fighters in the Senate. If asked to serve, I would strongly consider the position and would discuss with President Trump which path makes the most sense for our country,” Ramaswamy said. Ohio GOP State Sen. Matt Dolan, who was endorsed by DeWine in the Senate race against Bernie Moreno earlier this year, is also believed to be in the running to replace Vance, a GOP Senate campaign strategist told Fox News Radio. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION Dolan congratulated Vance in a social media post shortly after Trump’s announcement and said the decision is “great news for Ohio and America.” DeWine would not give any indication of his thinking when Fox News Digital pointed out he had a choice to make. “We have to win first,” DeWine told Fox News Digital on the floor of the Republican National Convention (RNC). In a statement to Fox News Digital, DeWine Press Secretary Dan Tierney said, “I do not anticipate the Governor will comment on the appointment process until there is an actual vacancy after Election Day.” “The Governor has said his focus through November will be on helping elect this ticket, our Senate candidate Bernie Moreno, and the Republican slate of Ohio Supreme Court candidates.” SPLIT-SECOND TURN COULD HAVE SAVED TRUMP’S LIFE, EXPERTS SAYS: ‘GOD MUST HAVE BEEN WATCHING DOWN ON’ HIM Husted, who delivered a speech at the RNC before Vance took the stage as Trump’s running mate, is also a possible pick for DeWine. The state’s attorney general, Dave Yost, told Fox News Digital in an interview that he believes Husted would be an “excellent choice.” Another possible contender could be Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, who was briefly considered as a possible challenger to Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in this year’s elections before announcing he would instead seek another term in the House. Fox News Digital reached out to Husted, Carey, and Davidson for further comment.
JD Vance’s response to the East Palestine derailment was first memorable thing the Ohio senator did
On the evening of Feb. 3, 2023, a freight train full of toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and residents near the site feared long-term health consequences when a large black plume lingered in the area above homes for weeks. A year later, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, 39, met with struggling members of the community and spoke with reporters. He urged President Biden to fund long-term health screening for residents in nearby areas. “If you talk to people, this is people who want to move on from this disaster, this is people are still worried about chemical contamination, they want to know with confidence that 10 years down the road, if something happens to their kids, God forbid, or themselves, they can trace it to this accident or not,” the official Vance Senate page reads. “The only way to do that is to do the health baseline screening that we have talked about and we have tried to pressure the Biden Administration into doing something about – they have been completely unmoved on it.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE Vance, a Middletown, Ohio native and current Cincinnati resident, first visited East Palestine following the Norfolk Southern train crash less than two weeks after hazardous materials spilled onto land and into nearby water. He implored Biden to “stop blaming Donald Trump” for the train derailment. “Stop blaming Donald Trump, a guy who hasn’t been president for three years, and use the powers of the federal government to do the things necessary to help the people in this community,” Vance told Fox News’ Louis Tomlinson at the time. LIVE UPDATES: REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION Vance posted a video to social media as he walked along a creek and showed footage of chemicals clearly visible to the naked eye to viewers. He said in the video, “The fact that these chemicals are still seeping into the ground is an insult to the people who live in East Palestine.” Vance visited the site again in March and, in late August, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that East Palestine residents felt “abandoned” and “forgotten” by President Biden. WHO IS TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE JD VANCE? “Over 100 days ago, Joe Biden promised that he would visit East Palestine, and he has broken this promise,” Vance said. “Donald Trump showed up in East Palestine, and Joe Biden never did, and he hasn’t shown up anywhere else either,” Vance said of both the village in Ohio and Hawaii following the wildfires in Maui that killed nearly 100 people. Over a year after the toxic spill, Biden made it to East Palestine. Vance’s quick response to the train derailment and advocacy for local residents landed him in the spotlight and earned him a front row seat in the news for months. Trump joined Vance and other Ohio lawmakers on Feb. 22, 2023, to shake the hands of local residents and distribute water, food and other supplies to those desperately in need of necessities. OHIO TRAIN DERAILMENT: JD VANCE ON TRIP TO EAST PALESTINE CALLS ON BIDEN TO ‘STOP BLAMING DONALD TRUMP’ Leading into his successful run for elective office in 2022, Vance was a critic of Trump during his 2016-2020 presidency. Now a vocal supporter of Trump, Vance was officially revealed as the 2024 GOP vice presidential pick by Trump on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The former president announced his decision in a post on Truth Social just days after a gunman opened fire at a rally and attempted to assassinate him. “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. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Cruz vows to make anti-illegal immigration push at GOP convention after child murdered: ‘Speaking for Jocelyn’
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, will use his Republican National Convention speech to push for stronger border control and fewer migrant releases in the wake of the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas last month – as he highlighted a number of deaths allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants. “Tomorrow I will be speaking for Jocelyn. And I will be speaking for Lincoln Riley. And I will be speaking for Rachel Morin and all the others whose lives had been needlessly stolen by illegal immigrants released by Joe Biden and the Democrats,” he told Fox News Digital in an interview. Two illegal immigrants, Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, face capital murder charges in the death of 12-year-old Nungaray in Houston. They are accused of luring her under a bridge, tying her up and killing her before throwing her body into a river. MEXICAN MAN CHARGED WITH KILLING TWO CHILDREN IN WISCONSIN IS IN US ILLEGALLY Officials confirmed they were in the country illegally. Martinez was apprehended by Border Patrol in March and Pena was apprehended in May. Both were released on an order of recognizance pending their immigration court hearings. “Had Joe Biden and the Democrats followed the law, put them on a plane and sent them home, Jocelyn Nungaray would still be alive,” Cruz said. “Jocelyn was a beautiful 12-year-old girl, she loved animals, she dreamed of being an actress.” “This is happening over and over and over again, every damn day. We see another story of a person killed, a child raped, of a woman assaulted by illegal immigrants released by [President] Joe Biden and the Democrats,” he said, calling Nungaray’s death “entirely preventable.” BIDEN UNDER PRESSURE AFTER COUNTRIES REFUSE TO TAKE BACK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS: ‘NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN’ Cruz, along with Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, has introduced the Justice for Jocelyn Act. That bill would require that every Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention bed be filled before any releases of illegal immigrants into the interior. Even if they are filled, the bill would require DHS to exhaust all additional measures before releasing migrants into the interior. The legislation has the backing of Nungaray’s mother, Alexis. “In the wake of so much grief, Jocelyn gives me the strength to be her voice and demand justice. Sen. Ted Cruz’s Justice for Jocelyn Act would have prevented Jocelyn’s death,” she said. “It would have prevented her two murderers from being on the street, and it would have meant that Jocelyn would be here with us today. For the safety of kids nationwide, I urge everyone to support Sen. Cruz’s Justice for Jocelyn Act.” Cruz says the effects of the border crisis and what he said are “open border policies” on American communities will be a centerpiece of his speech to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday. “I’m going to make the case that this is cruel, this is evil, this is wrong. Real people are hurting and suffering and dying, and this needs to stop, and it will stop, and the way it will stop is when Donald Trump is re-elected president. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS In the interview, he also addressed the attempted assassination of former President Trump, joining calls for an emergency hearing and the resignation of top officials. “Every one of those decisions was indefensible. And the consequence was utterly catastrophic,” he said. He praised Trump’s response to the incident as “remarkable and inspiring” and blamed rhetoric from the left for inspiring such actions. “I think Saturday’s attempted assassination was a direct consequence of years after years after years of hateful vitriol and angry rhetoric and calls to violence from elected Democrats, from the corporate media,” he said. “When they spend a decade calling Donald Trump Adolf Hitler and the devil and a threat to American democracy, tragically angry and disturbed people take that as a call to action.”
Special counsel Jack Smith to appeal Trump classified documents case
Following U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon’s decision to dismiss the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump, Special counsel Jack Smith said he intends to file an appeal. “The dismissal of the case deviates from the uniform conclusion of all previous courts to have considered the issue that the Attorney General is statutorily authorized to appoint a Special Counsel. The Justice Department has authorized the Special Counsel to appeal the court’s order,” Peter Carr, Public Information Jack Smith’s office told Fox News Digital. Cannon dismissed the case against former President Trump for the handling of classified documents, and some legal experts are calling it a “strongly reasoned” opinion that eliminates the “greatest legal threat” to Trump. On Monday, Cannon issued a 93-page opinion dismissing the case on the grounds that the appointment of Special counsel Jack Smith to oversee the case was unconstitutional. This is a developing story.
What Trump-Vance ticket means for Mitch McConnell’s Ukraine aid crusade
Former President Trump’s choice of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as his running mate in the November election could make Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s mission to shore up support for Ukraine in the Republican Party more difficult. The Ohio senator has been a vocal critic of the various foreign aid packages, which included assistance for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. “The problem in Ukraine … is that there’s no clear end point,” he previously remarked, echoing a complaint of other Republicans about the status of the conflict. Vance has further questioned the continued aid to Ukraine over a lack of oversight, even introducing legislation to better monitor it. “The United States has sent tens of billions worth of military aid to Ukraine with shockingly little accountability for where those resources have gone,” he said in a statement at the time. TRUMP PICK JD VANCE CELEBRATED BY GOP: ‘OPPONENT OF ENDLESS WARS’ “For example, we know that over half the weapons subject to enhanced end-use monitoring we’ve sent have not been tracked according to DOD standards. This is totally unacceptable. My legislation would require the Biden administration to maintain much higher standards of tracking the weapons we send overseas. If they can’t maintain those standards, they lose their authority to send weapons in the first place,” he added. TRUMP PICKS JD VANCE AS RUNNING MATE AS HE BECOMES GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE This past spring, the Ohio Republican voted against the $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, which ultimately passed. On the other hand, McConnell has made support for Ukraine his priority going forward. The Kentucky senator announced he would be stepping down as leader of the upper chamber’s Republicans in February, but he will remain in Congress. TRUMP CELEBRATES ‘MIRACLE’ SURVIVAL, EXPLAINS WHY HE ASKED ABOUT HIS SHOES He previously noted he planned to put “the main part of my focus in the coming years” on pushing back on Russia in Ukraine. He referred to the war as “a worldwide problem for democracies.” In an interview last week, McConnell claimed to be seeing improvement in his party on the issue of supporting Ukraine and demonstrating leadership on the world stage. “Reagan would turn over in his grave if he thought we were not willing to stand up for people fighting for their independence — particularly against the Russians,” he claimed. ‘GREATEST’ LEGAL THREAT AGAINST TRUMP NOW GONE AFTER DOCS CASE DISMISSAL, TURLEY SAYS Despite the clear foreign policy differences between McConnell and Vance, the Senate Minority Leader applauded Trump on his choice of vice presidential nominee on Monday. “Senator JD Vance is a fierce advocate for the president’s policies and is the obvious pick for President Trump. He’ll make a strong case on the campaign trail on why we need to turn the page on the disastrous policies of the Biden administration,” read a tweet from the Kentucky senator’s campaign account. Trump hasn’t been entirely forthcoming about what he would do to address the war between Ukraine and Russia, often claiming he would quickly be able to end the conflict. “If I’m president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours,” he once said. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
GOP punches a MAGA ticket, which Democrats are already smearing as ‘extreme’
The Republican Party is going all in on the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement with the selection of their 2024 candidates — which is already being framed by Democrats as an “extremist” ticket. After months of speculation, GOP presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump announced his pick to join him on the 2024 Republican ticket, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, a staunch supporter of the former president aligned with the MAGA wing of the GOP. Democrats have attempted to smear Trump’s MAGA agenda as “extremist” over the years, a talking point that they are already using to describe the GOP pair after Trump revealed Vance will run with him on the ticket. WHO IS TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE JD VANCE? “Trump has selected far-right MAGA extremist JD Vance as his running mate. Vance is a 2020 election denier, supports a national abortion ban, and voted against IVF access,” Biden-Harris HQ, the Democrat’s official 2024 campaign account, posted on X after the announcement. “Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance. He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich,” President Joe Biden said in a post on X. Former Rep. Tim Ryan, the Democrat Vance beat for the Ohio Senate seat in 2022, also attacked the vice presidential pick as “even more extreme than Trump.” “At best, JD Vance is a phony and a fraud. At worst, he has extremely deranged views towards women. His political agenda is even more extreme than Trump and his history of dishonesty and opportunism means he cannot be trusted,” Ryan claimed in a post on X. TRUMP PICK JD VANCE CELEBRATED BY GOP: ‘OPPONENT OF ENDLESS WARS’ “I was hoping President Trump would have picked a VP that had a reputation of someone who consistently reached out to find common ground,” Ryan continued. “JD is the exact opposite of that. Democrats must act quickly to expose him.” The GOP, however, is rallying behind Trump and Vance with unified support for the 2024 ticket and implementing “America first” policies.
Biden campaign slams JD Vance, says Trump VP pick will ‘enable’ an ‘extreme MAGA agenda’
Former President Donald Trump, the expected Republican presidential nominee, on Monday announced Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate, and the Biden campaign is claiming he will “enable” an “extreme MAGA agenda.” In an initial reaction to his contender’s choice as vice president, President Biden said Vance “talks a big game” about wanting to support working-class Americans but that he pushes “more tax cuts for the rich.” “Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance,” Biden posted on X Monday. “He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.” “Well, I don’t intend to let them,” Biden said, asking supporters to donate to his campaign. TRUMP ANNOUNCES OHIO SEN JD VANCE AS HIS 2024 RUNNING MATE Trump hailed his vice presidential pick on Monday, saying that “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.” “J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association,” he said. “J.D.’s book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ became a Major Best Seller and Movie, as it championed the hardworking men and women of our Country,” he said, adding that the freshman senator “has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance.” FOX NEWS LEARNS BURGUM, RUBIO, INFORMED AHEAD OF VANCE ANNOUNCEMENT THEY WOULDN’T BE NAMED RUNNING MATE Biden-Harris 2024 Chair Jen O’Malley Dillon released a statement blasting Trump’s choice. “Donald Trump picked J.D. Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on January 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” Dillon said. “This is someone who supports banning abortion nationwide while criticizing exceptions for rape and incest survivors; railed against the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for millions with preexisting conditions; and has admitted he wouldn’t have certified the free and fair election in 2020,” she said. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS REPORTING FROM THE REPUBLICAN CONVENTION “Billionaires and corporations are literally rooting for J.D. Vance: they know he and Trump will cut their taxes and send prices skyrocketing for everyone else,” she said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Rep. Eric Swallwell, D-Calif., also reacted to the announcement with a post on X saying, “Interesting move to go from ‘he might be America’s Hitler’ to ‘is he hiring?’” referencing a previous comment from Vance calling Trump “America’s Hitler.” Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison also reacted to the news saying, “This is the most consequential election of our lifetimes, and with Donald Trump’s decision today to add J.D. Vance to the Republican ticket, the stakes of this election just got even higher.” “J.D. Vance embodies MAGA – with an out-of-touch extreme agenda and plans to help Trump force his Project 2025 agenda on the American people.” “Let’s be clear: A Trump-Vance ticket would undermine our democracy, our freedoms, and our future,” Harrison said. Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
RFK Jr. to get Secret Service protection after failed Trump assassination, Mayorkas says
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. will receive protection from the U.S. Secret Service following the attempted assassination of former President Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Monday. “In light of this weekend’s events, the president has directed me to work with the Secret Service to provide protection to Robert Kennedy, Jr. Both prior to and after the events of this past weekend,” Mayorkas told reporters. On Monday, Trump joined growing calls for Kennedy to receive Secret Service protection in the days since the failed assassination during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. In a Truth Social post, Trump said it was “imperative” that Kennedy receive the protection detail. SUSPECTED TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SHINES LIGHT ON RALLY SECURITY “Given the history of the Kennedy Family, this is the obvious right thing to do!” Trump wrote, referencing the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the 1968 killing of RFK Jr.’s father, Sen. Robert Kennedy, then a presidential candidate. In response, Kennedy called Trump’s remarks a “hopeful sign for our country when a political opponent calls for one’s protection. Maybe our country can unite after all.” Kennedy also thanked the Biden administration. “Thank you to President Biden for granting me Secret Service protection. And I am so grateful to Gavin deBecker & Associates for keeping me safe for the last 15 months of my Presidential campaign,” Kennedy posted on X. Kennedy’s campaign racked up $1.4 million in debt by early spring to a private security firm, while the Biden administration has repeatedly denied his requests for Secret Service protection. He has assailed Biden for having rejected at least three requests for protection while on the 2024 campaign trail, going back to last year. ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP AT PENNSYLVANIA RALLY LEAVES 2 HURT, 2 DEAD INCLUDING SHOOTER The Biden administration previously maintained that Secret Service protection for Kennedy was “not warranted,” according to a letter obtained by Deseret News. According to Kennedy, that was despite several documented death threats against him. Kennedy said he spoke with Trump on Monday morning about “national unity.” “I hope to meet with Democratic leaders about that as well. No, I am not dropping out of the race,” he said. In response to Saturday’s shooting, the Secret Service has enhanced protection of Trump “based on the evolving nature of threats to the former president and his imminent shift from presumptive nominee to nominee,” said Mayorkas. “I cannot discuss specifics of the production protection or the enhancements made, as they involve sensitive tactics and procedures,” he said. “I can say, however, that personnel and other protective resources, technology and capabilities have been added.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said leaders need to “lower the temperature” in an effort to prevent any more political violence. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “We need to lower the temperature. That’s what we need to do, lower the temperature, and unite the country,” she said. “That’s what this president, that’s the cornerstone of his presidency, is uniting the country. That’s what he wants to do.” Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
Trump pick JD Vance celebrated by GOP: ‘Opponent of endless wars’
Republicans quickly shared congratulations and approval of former President Trump’s selection of Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as his vice presidential nominee ahead of the November election. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., applauded the decision, saying in a statement that Vance “possesses a profound understanding of the anxieties of working families and has both the lived experience and the policy expertise to help President Trump deliver a government worthy of the people it is supposed to serve.” Bernie Moreno, who is running for Senate in Ohio with Vance’s backing, rejoiced over the announcement, claiming, “President Trump made a brilliant selection in Senator JD Vance.” TRUMP PICKS JD VANCE AS RUNNING MATE AS HE BECOMES GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE Trump revealed his choice of Vance as his running mate in a post on Truth Social during the kickoff of the Republican National Convention on Monday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., responded on X with a post on his campaign account that read, “Senator JD Vance is a fierce advocate for the president’s policies and is the obvious pick for President Trump. He’ll make a strong case on the campaign trail on why we need to turn the page on the disastrous policies of the Biden administration.” “A son of Middletown, Ohio, J.D. can relate to the many Americans who are struggling right now to make ends meet in this era of crushing inflation, and a housing market that is unaffordable and shutting many out of a chance at achieving the American dream,” said Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, in a statement congratulating the senator. TRUMP CELEBRATES ‘MIRACLE’ SURVIVAL, EXPLAINS WHY HE ASKED ABOUT HIS SHOES Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., expressed his delight with the pick, writing on X, “It’s great to have an opponent of endless wars and more aid to Ukraine on the ticket.” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who was also said to be in consideration as a possible running mate, wrote on X, “J.D. Vance is a friend and a conservative champion who fights for American workers. He’ll make an outstanding vice president.” Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., was considered one of the top three front-runners for Trump’s running mate, along with Vance and Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Fox News confirmed prior to Trump’s announcement that both Burgum and Rubio had received calls informing them that they weren’t chosen. After Vance’s selection was revealed, Burgum wrote on X congratulating him: “Today [Trump] selected @JdVance1 as his running mate, whose small town roots and service to country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda. I look forward to campaigning for the Trump-Vance ticket to Make America Great Again!” he said. ‘GREATEST’ LEGAL THREAT AGAINST TRUMP NOW GONE AFTER DOCS CASE DISMISSAL, TURLEY SAYS “Congratulations to @JDVance1 on your nomination to be the next Vice President of the United States! His passion for America’s prosperity, service as a U.S. Marine, and commitment to our commonsense conservative values are what we need for a stronger America,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., posted on X. Youngkin was also understood as a possible pick, but as more of a long shot. Another close Trump ally, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., remarked that Vance is “bright” and “articulate,” adding that he “understands the struggles of working Americans, as he has walked in their shoes and has become one of their best champions.” Trump’s selection of Vance as his running-mate comes as he continues to woo working-class voters, particularly in the rust belt. Notably, Vance has been a strong advocate for workers throughout his time in the Senate. Blue collar voters will be pivotal in the November election, particularly as several Midwest swing states are expected to decide the winner. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.