Vance's Rise: From Critic to Trump's Vice Presidential Candidate

Trump officially announced at the Republican convention in Milwaukee that 39-year-old Ohio Senator James David Vance ( J.D. Vance ) will be his running mate for the 2024 elections. This challenged the aging leadership — Trump is 78 years old, Biden is 81.

A 180-degree turn: Vance was not always a supporter of Trump. In 2016, he refused to vote for the mogul, calling him “toxic.” But after Trump's victory in 2016, Vance changed his position and became an active defender on TV. The result? In 2022, he received direct support from Trump and won the Senate election.

A Biography Straight Out of a Hollywood Script: Vance was born in 1984 in a poor town in Ohio in the so-called “Rust Belt.” His parents divorced, and his mother struggled with drug addiction. Despite this, he joined the Navy and then attended Yale Law School. His 2016 book “Hillbilly Elegy” became a bestseller — a story of rising out of poverty.

Why is this important? Vance embodies a transitional generation of Republicans appealing to the working class, especially in key states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. As a Marine, he brings combat experience. His wife, Usha Chilukuri, is an Indian-American lawyer, which broadens the campaign's electoral base.

Figures: Vance's net worth is estimated at $5 million, with primary income from writing and venture capital. Behind the scenes, he helps raise money: in June, he organized a large fundraising event in San Francisco with the participation of Silicon Valley investors.

Vance is a striking example of political flexibility or, to put it more harshly, pragmatism on the path to power.