US Presidency election - Republicans officially nominate Donald Trump - J.D. Vance will be his vice
The Republicans have officially nominated Donald Trump as their candidate for the Presidential election. Trump secured the necessary majority of delegate votes at the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as expected. The former President will therefore face off against the democratic incumbent Joe Biden in November, according to current standings.
Shortly before the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Trump announced J.D. Vance as his Vice Presidential candidate for the US Presidential election in November. Trump made the announcement via his online platform Truth Social. The 39-year-old Vance, Trump wrote, is best suited for the campaign. Vance will focus on workers and farmers in contested states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Minnesota during the campaign.
In the past, Vance achieved success with his memoirs "Hillbilly Elegy." This bestseller provides insight into a segment of society that helped Trump secure his victory in 2016. Today, the 39-year-old author represents Ohio in the Senate. At the Munich Security Conference in February, he spoke on behalf of Trump and urged Germany to invest more in its military. However, he was not well-known in the broader American public at the time.
Trump announces Vance before the convention
The announcement came shortly after the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, had begun.
The circumstances surrounding the gathering were dramatic. Trump was the target of an attack during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. The attack during the campaign caused shock in the US and around the world.
Trump wants to return to the White House
Trump plans to challenge democratic incumbent Joe Biden in the Presidential election in early November. Biden is running again with his current Vice President Kamala Harris, who, like Biden, faces poor popularity ratings. In recent weeks, Biden has come under pressure within his own party due to his performance in the TV debate against Trump. Party colleagues have raised doubts about his mental fitness and his suitability for the candidacy.
Trump had kept speculation about who he would choose as his running mate running free for months. In US history, the name is usually announced shortly before the nominating convention. Trump waited until the convention was already underway to make his decision public. This is rather unconventional.
Vance instead of Pence
In the Presidential campaign of 2016, Trump had chosen Mike Pence, who particularly appealed to religious voters. After Trump's victory in 2016, Pence loyally served behind his boss for four years. The rift between the two came only after Pence refused to obstruct the formal confirmation of the election results in Congress and help Trump unconstitutionally to a victory. Pence later ran as a Republican Presidential candidate himself, but dropped out early in the race.
The role of Vice President is generally not an easy one: The duty of the deputy is to praise and represent the policy of the President, while setting his own accents, without stealing the show from the Chief, making no mistakes, but not shining too brightly either. Trump does not like to share fame and attention with others.
In this election year, the focus is more than ever on the respective vice presidential candidates. The two contenders for the Presidency, Trump and Biden, are both in advanced age. Trump is 78, Biden is 81 and would be 82 at the start of a second term. And according to the US Constitution, the vice president steps up to the highest office in the state if the President dies or otherwise falls out.
Biden and Trump had already secured the necessary delegate count for their parties' nominating conventions, where they will officially be designated as Presidential candidates. The Republican nominating convention is still running until Thursday. The Democrats will not come together until August in Chicago for their party convention.
- Despite the attack on him during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Trump remains determined to return to the White House for a second term in the Presidential election.
- Vance, who hails from Ohio, will focus on key states such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota during the US election campaign.
- At the Munich Security Conference, Vance advocated for Germany to invest more in its military, representing Trump's views on foreign policy.
- The Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a dramatic event with Trump as the target of an attack during a campaign rally the day before.
- Trump had chosen Mike Pence as his Vice Presidential candidate in the 2016 Presidential election, appealing to religious voters.
- The role of Vice President is complex, requiring praise and representation of the President's policy without stealing attention, a challenge that Trump's self-focused nature finds difficult.
- In contrast, Joe Biden's Vice President, Kamala Harris, also faces poor popularity ratings, and her performance in the TV debate against Trump has been criticized.
- The Vice Presidential candidates have gained more attention in this election year, given the advanced age of both Trump and Biden, who are 78 and 81 respectively.
- In the unusual move, Trump announced Vance as his Vice Presidential candidate during the Republican Party convention in Milwaukee, disrupting the typical election campaign timeline.
