By Illinois Review
Less than 48 hours after surviving an assassination attempt during a rally in Pennsylvania, former President Donald Trump has selected Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, as his running mate – minutes after officially securing the Republican nomination for President at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Vance, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022, has an inspiring story, as Trump highlighted in a post on his Truth Social account announcing his choice.
“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.”
Vance, who was adopted by his mother’s third husband, grew up in Ohio in a working class family where life wasn’t always easy. In 2016, he wrote a bestselling book called “Hillbilly Elegy” that detailed his life and growing up in Ohio. The book was later turned into a Netflix film and highlighted his story from his tough childhood to attending Yale Law School.
At just 39 years old, Vance would serve as one of the youngest vice presidents in history. But his life experiences and his time in the military where he enlisted in the U.S. Marines and was deployed to Iraq as a journalist – and his successful business career – have given him wisdom beyond his years.
“As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Congratulations to Senator J.D. Vance, his wife, Usha, who also graduated from Yale Law School, and their three beautiful children. MAGA2024!”
President Trump is still recovering from a gunshot wound that missed his skull, but nearly took off his right ear during a rally on Saturday in Pennsylvania. The photo of Trump standing back on his feet surrounded by Secret Service agents with blood coming down the right side of his face, pumping his fist telling the audience to “fight, fight fight” underneath the American flag will live on as one of the most iconic images in our nation’s history.
Vance is scheduled to address the convention on Wednesday and Trump is scheduled to speak on Thursday in Milwaukee.
