By choosing Vance, 39, Trump chose a Yale Law graduate; a U.S. Marine veteran; a best-selling author; and the nation’s first Millennial to join a presidential ticket.
Vance, who was elected to the Senate in 2022, was best known before politics for "Hillbilly Elegy," a sad and honest memoir about his upbringing in rural Kentucky.
Linda Harvey, who leads Mission: America and lives in Columbus, tells AFN she has been “very, very impressed” with Vance as an Ohio senator.
“He has taken very strong stands, much more so than one would initially have thought,” says Harvey.
“As time has gone on, he's impressed me more and more when he speaks out. He's very brave,” she continues. “He's kind of got that same spirit that Donald Trump has that people like. He basically says I'm going to speak out about the right thing and take bold stances for conservative values."
Tom Zawistowski, who leads tea party-affiliated We the People Convention, tells AFN he is looking down the road beyond Trump’s one remaining term. Vance appears capable of continuing as the U.S. president, he says, but only time will tell if Vance can prove himself.
“This is a 12-year process,” Zawistowski says. “We've got a lot of work to do to restore our Constitution, and the rule of law and basically remake Washington.”
Asked about Vance’s selection by Trump, Washington Times columnist Robert Knight also tells AFN he is looking into the political future.
“If [Vance] is a forceful vice president and shows that, like Trump, he doesn't take any guff from the press and can articulate the MAGA policy positions,” Knight says, “he would be first in line for the nomination in 2028."
