Donald Trump has selected 39-year-old U.S. Senator James D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate. This announcement came on Monday during the Republican Party’s national convention in Milwaukee, where Trump was officially nominated as the party’s candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to praise Vance, stating, “As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.”
The convention, held at Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, commenced just two days after Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Trump celebrated a legal win as a federal judge dismissed one of the criminal cases against him.
The former president, now 78, is set to formally accept the nomination on Thursday in a primetime address. He will go head-to-head with the incumbent, Democratic President Joe Biden, who is 81, in the upcoming election on November 5th. Current opinion polls suggest a close race between the two.
Despite continuing to assert that his 2020 election loss was due to widespread fraud, Trump has not promised to accept the 2024 election results if he were to lose. This stance has been a point of contention and concern among many.
In light of the recent assassination attempt, Trump mentioned he is revising his acceptance speech to focus more on national unity.
“This is a chance to bring the whole country, even the whole world, together. The speech will be a lot different, a lot different than it would’ve been two days ago,” Trump told the Washington Examiner.
The attack resulted in a minor injury to Trump’s right ear but caused no serious harm.
Trump’s legal battles continue, with ongoing trials related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. He is awaiting trials in both a federal prosecution in Washington and a state prosecution in Georgia.
However, these cases may be impacted by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that grants him immunity for many actions taken while he was president.
Moreover, Trump is scheduled to be sentenced in New York this September for attempting to cover up a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.
Expressing confidence in his legal battles, Trump remarked on Truth Social, “This dismissal of the Lawless Indictment in Florida should be just the first step, followed quickly by the dismissal of ALL the Witch Hunts,” referencing both his cases and the prosecutions of his supporters involved in the January 6 Capitol riot.
