JD Vance, Once a Critic of Donald Trump, Is Now His Vice Presidential Pick: 5 Facts

Former US President Donald Trump on Monday announced Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate in the November presidential election. The announcement came ahead of the former president’s surprise appearance at the Republican National Convention, just two days after he survived an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Vance, a Republican senator from Ohio, will join Trump on the ticket to challenge President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming election.

Who is JD Vance?

1. JD Vance was born James David Bowman in Middletown, Ohio, to a mother who struggled with addiction. His father left the family when Vance was a child. He grew up with his grandparents; his grandmother “Mamaw” was a “blue dog” Democrat and a devout Christian who owned 19 firearms.

2. Vance served in the U.S. Marine Corps after high school, including a stint in the Iraq War. He then pursued higher education, graduating from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Until 2017, he worked at a venture capital firm.

3. Before Entering Politics, Vance Gained National Attention With His Memoir Hillbilly elegy, which was later adapted into a Netflix film.

4. JD Vance is married to Usha Chilukuri Vance, who is of Indian origin. They met at Yale Law School and married in Kentucky in 2014. In addition to a traditional ceremony, they had a separate Hindu ceremony led by a Hindu priest. They have three children.

5. Vance was once a vocal critic of Donald Trump, calling him an “idiot” and “reprehensible” and comparing him to Hitler in previous interviews in 2016. However, he has now morphed into one of Trump’s staunch allies, rarely missing an opportunity to defend him. Although his name has long been mentioned as a potential political candidate, Vance jumped at the chance to run for the Ohio Senate seat in 2022 after Republican Senator Rob Portman decided not to seek re-election. His campaign struggled initially, but gained momentum after receiving a $10 million donation from his former boss, Peter Thiel. Despite being in a predominantly Republican state, Vance’s past criticism of Donald Trump posed an obstacle to his election. He was able to patch things up with the former president for his past comments and secure Trump’s endorsement.