Ohio Sen. JD Vance Donald Trump's pick for vice president

MILWAUKEE – Donald Trump selected Middletown native JD Vance on Monday to be his 2024 vice-presidential running mate, a pick that seeks to capitalize on the 39-year-old Ohio senator's youth and celebrity status among conservatives and who skyrocketed to fame as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Trump’s decision ends months of speculation over who would join the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s ticket as he seeks his political comeback in a November rematch with President Joe Biden.

More: Ohio leaders react to JD Vance as VP pick on GOP ticket with Donald Trump

"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 shared in a post on Truth Social on Monday.

Vance “will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond,” Trump added.

Trump revealed his pick on the opening day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where he and Vance, who lives in Cincinnati, are expected to formally accept their party's nominations. The crowd on the convention floor broke into chants of "JD!" "JD!" moments after Trump confirmed his running mate pick.

Still, the announcement came just days after an attempted assassination on the former president during a rally in Pennsylvania.

Within hours of the shooting, Vance pinned the blame on President Joe Biden’s campaign — comments that drew criticism for being too incendiary.

"Today is not just some isolated incident," Vance posted on X. "The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."

More: Ohio Sen. JD Vance, a top VP contender, blames Trump shooting on Biden 'rhetoric'

Vance, who served in the Marines, was first elected to the Senate in 2022 with no prior political experience but plenty of name recognition from his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book, later turned into a Netflix feature film, detailed Vance’s journey from a childhood riddled by drug addiction and abuse to Ohio State University, and a Yale Law School degree that opened doors for him in Silicon Valley.

Many pundits used “Hillbilly Elegy” to rationalize Trump’s popularity with white, rural America in 2016 – acclaim that put Vance on the national media circuit.

As Vance entered the convention hall in Milwaukee, Jon Gruber, 60, of Altoona, Iowa said Vance's Appalachian background is a boon for the ticket.

"He's a common man that was elevated into the Washington spotlight and he hasn't been there long enough to become part of the Washington swamp yet," Gruber said. "Having him on the ticket with Trump essentially it's almost two outsiders going in to fix it."

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts was speaking with reporters at a nearby venue when the news about Trump selecting Vance came out. A grin broke across his face: He is close with the senator.

“He understands the moment we’re in in this country, which is that we have a limited amount of time to implement great policy on behalf of forgotten Americans, someone JD Vance personifies,” Roberts said. “At Heritage, we could not be happier.”

The Biden campaign responded to the Vance pick by calling him an "enabler" of Trump's MAGA policies.

Biden told reporters Monday afternoon before boarding Air Force On that Vance is “a clone of Trump on the issues. So I don’t see any difference in them.”

Who is JD Vance's wife? Here's what we know about Usha Chilukuri Vance

The vice-presidential nod is the culmination of Vance’s rapid ascent within the Trump world. The Ohio native was once a fierce critic of the former president, at times comparing him to an opioid and saying he could be “America’s Hitler.” But Vance changed his tune ahead of the 2022 Senate race, deleted controversial tweets and secured Trump’s support in Ohio’s nasty GOP primary.

Now, Vance is one of Trump’s most loyal soldiers and makes frequent media appearances to tear down President Joe Biden and his allies. He attended the first debate between Trump and Biden, giddily seizing on the president's poor showing and touting Trump's performance. Vance is also close with one of Trump’s sons, Donald Trump Jr.

As Vance skyrocketed to the top of Trump's shortlist, he appeared on Fox and Friends with his wife, Usha, for an audition of sorts. He also previewed what he can do on the fundraising circuit: The senator organized a fundraiser for Trump in Silicon Valley – capitalizing on ties from his tech investor days – and helped the former president raise money in Cincinnati and Cleveland.

At 39 going on 40 – his milestone birthday is Aug. 2 – Vance would be the youngest vice president since Richard Nixon served under Dwight D. Eisenhower. He does not bring new demographics to the ticket that could help Republicans make inroads with Black, Latino or female voters. Ohio is not considered a battleground state after Trump won it comfortably in 2016 and 2020.

New York delegate Robert Morgan, 30, of Manhattan said he's not worried about Vance's age or short career in Washington.

"He's got just as much experience as Barack Obama had when he became president, right? So I think he can handle the job," he said.

In many ways, however, Vance is seen as the future of MAGA. He embraced the Trump-style populism that rails against the Washington establishment. He’s staunchly isolationist, often using the Iraq War to justify his opposition to additional U.S. aid for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Vance is also a skilled speaker, an asset that could aid him on the debate stage with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris left a voicemail Monday welcoming Vance to the campaign and expressing interest in debating. Details of a debate between Harris and Vance have not yet been agreed upon.

The Biden campaign accepted an invitation from CBS News for a vice presidential debate either July 23 or Aug. 13. The Trump campaign accepted an invitation for a vice presidential debate hosted by Fox News, on a "Date to be determined,"

Who is JD Vance? What to know about Donald Trump's VP pick

Some of Vance’s work in the Senate has been bipartisan, including bills that would strengthen rail safety and hold executives accountable for failed banks. At the same time, he also pushes back against Democratic priorities and engages with hot-button issues. Case in point: He voted against a plan that would protect access to contraception and introduced legislation to ban gender-affirming care for minors.

The senator and Usha Vance, who works as a litigator, live in Cincinnati with their three children, ages 7, 4 and 2.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio Senator JD Vance Donald Trump's pick for vice president