JD Vance speaks at Republican National Convention

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Sen. JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, spoke Wednesday night at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee in a speech introducing himself to the nation.

Trump announced his selection of Vance on Monday. Vance is the first major party candidate for vice president from Ohio since 1944, when former governor John Bricker was running mate to presidential candidate Thomas Dewey.

Defeating Democratic challenger Tim Ryan in 2022 and taking over former Sen. Rob Portman’s seat in January 2023, the 39-year-old Vance will appear on the presidential ballot with less than two years of experience in elected office. Before his political career, Vance was a venture capitalist who wrote a 2016 memoir-turned-Netflix-movie called “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Democratic strategist Morgan Harper and Republican strategist Terry Casey discussed JD Vance’s speech Wednesday at the Republican National Convention.

In 2016, Vance was a Trump critic, calling him a “total fraud,” “moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.” Vance has since said Trump’s performance as president proved his original stance.

Vance spoke for nearly 40 minutes, after Donald Trump Jr. and Vance’s wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, speak starting around 10 p.m.

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