For a candidate for the White House, the choice of running mate often responds to the objective of seducing new voters, or of compensating for weaknesses identified in terms of image or program.
Why did Donald Trump then choose JD Vance, a wealthy white man like himself, a senator from Ohio, a state he already had every chance of winning?
– Age rebalancing
Even if his octogenarian rival Joe Biden seems to suffer more than him from his advanced age, Donald Trump knows that he is not very young at 78. And, that in the event of the possible withdrawal of the Democratic president, for example in favor of his vice-president Kamala Harris, it would be he who would automatically become the veteran and would therefore be scrutinized as such.
Hence the interest shown by JD Vance, 39 years old, likely to rebalance the average age of the tandem.
If Donald Trump is elected, this former military man and best-selling author, who came from a modest background and made a career in Silicon Valley, will become the third youngest vice president in the history of the United States. He will bring a wave of youth to the White House.
– A loyal member of the MAGA family
Although he has been critical of Donald Trump in the past, JD Vance has made a complete turnaround to establish himself as one of the most ardent defenders of the billionaire and his MAGA ideology, “Making America Great Again”.
After deleting and repudiating his old tweets, the populist conservative passionately embraced Trumpist ideas, advocating a radical fight against immigration and uncompromising economic protectionism.
He proved his loyalty to his mentor by staunchly defending his baseless claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
JD Vance and Donald Trump campaign signs at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, July 15, 2024 / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP
On Saturday, just hours after the shooting of the former president, JD Vance accused Joe Biden of having misled his rhetoric about the dangers of Trumpism “directly caused this assassination attempt”.
Finally, for Donald Trump, who is wary of Washington’s political elites like the plague, choosing an anti-system candidate, very close to his son Donald Jr., was tempting.
The septuagenarian was especially scalded by his very bad experience with his previous vice-president, Mike Pence. The latter, after years of unwavering loyalty, had refused on January 6, 2021 to comply when Donald Trump asked him to refuse to certify the election of Joe Biden.
“Trump chose JD Vance as his running mate because he will do what Mike Pence refused to do on January 6th: bend over backwards to serve Trump and his extremist MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and regardless of the harm it causes to the American people.”accused Jen O’Malley Dillon, Joe Biden’s campaign manager.
– Operation seduction of the « Rust Belt »
While Donald Trump is expected to win Ohio, he is betting that Vance could help him win the neighboring states of Michigan and Pennsylvania, as well as Wisconsin.
Three key states, having suffered from deindustrialization, each individually likely to swing the outcome of the presidential election on November 5. Donald Trump would thus cement a solid electoral base there.
JD Vance at the Republican convention in Milwaukee, July 15, 2024 / KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP
In a recent interview on Fox News, the Republican billionaire had also included broadening his electoral base among his criteria for choosing his vice-president, a position intended above all to replace the president in the event of his death or resignation.
It’s necessary “someone who will help us get elected”Mr. Trump had said.
It is worth noting that the former business magnate did not only have the presidential election in mind to guide his decision. Ohio is the site of a highly contested contest for a senatorial seat and the Republicans are counting on this state to finally regain control of the upper house of Congress.
