Donald Trump has selected JD Vance, a Republican US senator from Ohio, as his running mate.
The news emerged at the start of the four-day Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to nominate the party's presidential ticket.
Vance, a senator from Ohio had previously criticised the President, saying he was a "never-Trump guy" in 2016 adding he didn't see him "offering many solutions."
In selecting Vance, Trump passed over other possible contenders including US Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum.
Senator JD Vance has been chosen as Trump's running mate
Reuters
Senator JD Vance with Donald Trump at a rally in September 2022
Reuters
James David Vance, author of the bestselling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," has been a controversial figure in the Republican party.
After a troubled and impoverished childhood in southern Ohio, he served in the Marine Corps, won a scholarship to Yale Law School and later worked as a venture capitalist in San Francisco.
Vance himself was critical of Trump before and after Trump's 2016 election win against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, calling him an "idiot" and "America's Hitler," among other epithets.
However, the Ohio native has now become one of Trump's most ardent defenders, standing by his side even when other high-profile Republicans declined to do so.
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Republican US Senate candidate JD Vance
Reuters
In media interviews, Vance has said there was no "Eureka" moment that changed his views on Trump. Rather, he gradually realized that his opposition to the former President was rooted in style rather than substance.
For instance, he agreed with Trump's contentions that free trade had hollowed out middle America by crushing domestic manufacturing and that the nation's leaders were too quick to get involved in foreign wars.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social page: "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 JD Vance of the Great State of Ohio,"
At 39, Vance will represent a younger generation in an election that features Trump and President Joe Biden, 81, bringing a counterweight to the Democratic ticket that also includes Vice President Kamala Harris, 59.
Vance and Trump
Reuters
Vance's selection has its detractors among Trump associates, notably those who had wanted Trump to select a diverse Vice Presidential candidate.
Though Trump and Biden are virtually tied in most national polls, Trump trails the Democratic president by significant margins among women and Black Americans.
Some Trump associates privately questioned whether it would be wise to take Vance out of the Senate with Democrats and Republicans vying for control of the upper chamber. Democrats hold a one-seat advantage, though they are likely to lose ground in the November election.
