Trump Advances with J.D. Vance

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What does this mean for the Republican ticket?

The Republican ticket is now complete for the forthcoming presidential election. Contrary to 2016 with the selection of a mild-mannered, soft-spoken and evangelical born-again Christian, Donald Trump has chosen the freshman Senator from Ohio, J.D. Vance, as his vice-presidential pick.

Vance presents the advantage of adding youthful energy to the ticket and is a committed, full-blown MAGA believer. With the zeal of a convert, Vance has positioned himself as the future of the MAGA movement, with a clear strategy for the long-term success of the Republican Party recast as the populist MAGA Party.

With his nomination as the VP choice, his priority will be to help Donald Trump get re-elected in November. For a detailed analysis of his beliefs, look at the New York Times article of June 13th. The very recent assassination attempt on Trump has fundamentally changed the dynamics of the campaign. With the wind in his sails, Trump can rely on Vance to surf on the wave of enthusiasm and positive energy coursing through the Republican Party as they kick off their nomination convention today in Milwaukee.

Since the extraordinary events of last Friday, Trump has signalled his newfound desire to unite the country, and he has remained uncharacteristically subdued since the failed attempt on his life, raising hopes that such an existential event will change him not only as an individual but also as a potential future president. He indicated that he is rewriting his acceptance speech with this in mind.

However, the choice of Vance as Vice-President nominee seems to indicate that Trump's newfound moderation is a more tactical move to persuade Democratic-leaning swing voters to vote for him rather than Biden. Vance has always been an outspoken and aggressive advocate of the MAGA firebrand policies. Immediately after the assassination attempt, Vance declared :

"Today is not just some isolated incident. The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs. That rhetoric led directly to President Trump's attempted assassination."

I'm not sure that this type of statement will be well-received by swing voters or the American people at large. Nonetheless, the nomination of J.D. Vance clearly illustrates the colour and focus of the 2024 Trump campaign, which, for all intents and purposes, is progressing in a much more professional and strategic manner than either of his previous campaigns.

The Democrats have their work cut out for them, in particular, as they have committed themselves to "lower the temperature" of the political debate, and they will have to find a way to continue criticising the Republican ticket without leaving themselves exposed to accusations of aggressive, divisive rhetoric. Under normal circumstances, this would be a tall task; with a weakened Biden who does not have the support of the Democratic Party, it is increasingly looking like a bridge too far.