Insiders predict Rust Belt Republican, possible Trump VP pick, could flip Biden votes in key swing states
Ohio Sen. J.D. Trump’s campaign is evaluating Vance as a potential running mate.
Donald Trump told Fox News that he had “sort of an idea” about who he would select as his running mate.
J.D., a fiery Ohio senator, was asked to submit documents as part of Trump’s vetting process. Vance is a Democrat who, according to some insiders, could be the key in converting working-class Democrats in a number crucial battleground states.
“J.D. Vance is a regular on Donald Trump’s campaign tour and is very popular among the Trump base,” a top GOP strategist told Fox News Digital. He was referring to Vance’s appearances on Trump’s campaign trail.
|
He would be a great help to the Rust Belt, and could even help gain working class Democrat votes outside of his home state of Ohio. He would be a great asset in all states, but particularly in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
In 2016, the three states were won by Trump, when they formed part of Hillary Clinton’s “blue wall”. However, in 2020 President Biden will take over.
All three are again at the forefront of the presidential race, and their performance could determine who wins this year. Another insider said that Vance’s upbringing in blue-collar America, as detailed in his 2016 bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”, appeals to a lot of voters in those states, just like Trump did in his first presidential campaign.
“[Vance] is able to handle hostile media interviews with the precision and poise of a Yale Law School Graduate while sharing an authentic connection with voters from blue-collar backgrounds in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which are key states. It’s not hard to understand why Vance is on Trump’s shortlist of possible picks, said GOP strategist Matt Wolking who was deputy communications director in Trump’s presidential 2020 campaign.
Wolking said that Vance, who served in the Marine Corps, and deployed to Iraq, was a combat veteran, and a friend of Donald Trump Jr. He is a new face of the populist noninterventionist union-friendly wing within the Republican Party.
Wolking pointed out that Vance would be the youngest Vice President in 70 years and, given that he was only elected to the Senate 18 months ago, he has not held elected office yet.
He added, “He only has one general election in his record. It was in a state Trump took by eight points.”
A GOP strategist who has worked on presidential campaigns said that Vance’s “antibusiness” inclinations could cause some donors to have major heartburn, because Trump is trying so hard to court business.
Other names that have been mentioned as possible candidates to join Trump in the Republican ticket are House GOP Conference chair Elise Stefanik and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is the South Dakota Governor. Kristi Noem is a Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.
Trump has indicated that he is likely to wait until the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Milwaukee this July, before announcing his choice.