Republicans welcomed JD Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate on the same night devoted to blasting President Joe Biden’s leadership on the world stage.
Vance, the 39-year-old Ohio senator, offered his life story as a son of Appalachia to reaffirm Trump’s connections to Americans who feel alienated socially, economically and politically.
The mix of national security talk, relentless attacks on Biden and the unveiling of a potential “MAGA” movement heir encapsulated what Trump’s “America First” agenda means for the GOP and the U.S. role as a global superpower. Vance used his national introduction to blend his working-class Appalachian roots with Trump’s economic populism and nationalism. The young senator is a natural fit with the former and potentially future president. His nomination effectively coronates Vance as the heir apparent to Trump’s movement.
Vance blasted Wall Street and “multinational corporations.” He hailed Trump as a man who “will stand up for American companies” and “union and nonunion” workers. He talked of raising wages, battling China in the global marketplace and making other nations foot the military bill for international security and stability.The senator torched Biden for his support of international trade deals and foreign wars during his days as a U.S. senator. “At each step of the way … jobs were sent overseas and our children were sent to war,” said Vance, who has opposed U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Each of those historical U.S. policy decisions Vance mentioned had sweeping Republican support. The Iraq War was pursued by the last Republican president before Trump: George W. Bush. But this isn’t the party of the Bushes anymore. It’s not even Ronald Reagan’s.
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