Trump Taps JD Vance as 2024 Running Mate Amid Controversy and Support

Donald Trump has selected JD Vance, an advocate of 'America First,' as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2024 elections. Vance, a first-time lawmaker from Ohio, has undergone a radical political transformation over the last eight years and is now a staunch Trump supporter.

Donald Trump has officially chosen JD Vance as his vice-presidential running mate for the 2024 Presidential elections. The announcement was confirmed through Trump's social media account, Truth Social. Vance, a 39-year-old lawmaker from Ohio, has been a vocal proponent of 'America First' policies.

Vance, who once called Trump 'America's Hitler,' has undergone a significant political transformation over the past eight years, evolving from a self-described 'Never Trump' conservative to a 'hard-edged MAGA loyalist.' He has expressed skepticism about U.S. support for Ukraine and endorsed Trump's stance on Israel's conflict with Hamas.

At a National Conservatism conference in Washington, Vance made remarks about nuclear proliferation, controversially suggesting that the UK could become a 'truly Islamist country' under its new Labour government. These comments were reported by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss was spotted at the Milwaukee Republican convention, praising Trump's resilience and criticizing Joe Biden as a 'weak president.'

Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential candidate and a Yale Law School classmate of Vance, endorsed him as an 'outstanding Vice President.' Ramaswamy shared nostalgic memories of their time watching Bengals games together and lauded the Trump-Vance ticket as the 'most formidable' of his lifetime.

The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, where Trump and Vance were officially nominated, saw Vance stepping onto the stage with his wife, Usha Vance. An anonymous Biden-Harris campaign official revealed that Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated Vance and expressed interest in a debate proposed by CBS News.

According to reports, Vance grew up in a steel mill community in Ohio, facing challenges related to drug addiction and poverty. He served four years in the Marine Corps, including a six-month deployment to Iraq, before pursuing higher education at Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Vance later worked at a corporate law firm and as a principal at billionaire Peter Thiel's investment firm in San Francisco.

(With inputs from agencies.)