J.D. Vance

(Senate.gov photo)

Earlier today Donald Trump announced John David ("J.D.") Vance as his running mate. Your humble blogger, who doesn't pay much attention to who's who in national politics, will start learning about J.D. Vance by tackling his 2016 best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

If elected, J.D. Vance, who will turn 40 on August 2nd, will be the third youngest vice president in American history behind John Breckinridge (37) and Richard Nixon (40), who assumed office in 1857 and 1960, respectively.

Here are the WSJ's "Five Things to Know About J.D. Vance."

1. He gained prominence as a bestselling author. “Hillbilly Elegy,” a rumination on the problems facing his hometown and growing up in working-class America, became a commercial smash, and later was a Ron Howard-directed film. The memoir helped Vance pitch himself to voters as he began to rise in politics.

2. He used to be a critic of Trump. Vance in 2016 said Trump could be “America’s Hitler.” But since then, the senator has morphed into a strong ally of Trump. He has echoed Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was rigged.

3. He was in the Marine Corps. Vance joined the Marines after high school, and he has said that the experience gave him a distaste for unnecessary foreign entanglements. In the Senate, Vance has helped lead the opposition to foreign aid for Ukraine. Trump, for his part, wasn’t as aggressive as Vance on the issue.

4. He has only been in Congress for two years. Vance, 39 years old, was elected to the Senate in 2022. He defeated Tim Ryan, a Democrat and longtime Ohio representative, for the seat. Trump endorsed Vance in that election, helping him win during a crowded election cycle.

5. He was also a venture capitalist and knows wealthy donors. Before coming to Congress, Vance graduated from the Ohio State University and Yale Law School, and was a principal at venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s firm in 2016 and 2017. Thiel spent millions on Vance’s Senate run. Those relationships have helped him hold his own among influential political donors.

Given Donald Trump's age (78), there is a distinct probability that J.D. Vance could become President in the next four years. Of course, the same thing may be said about Kamala Harris, 58, given the infirmities of President Biden, 81.