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By Amaia J. Gavica
Cronkite News
MILWAUKEE – Cheers erupted from the Arizona delegation at the announcement Monday that Donald Trump had picked Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice president.
Some of the state’s Republican delegates conceded they don’t know much about Vance – a lawyer, best-selling author and former Trump denouncer who was elected less than two years ago – but said they trust the former president’s stamp of approval.
“I’m not that familiar with him, but I’m sure he’s great. If Trump picked him, I know he will be the best … person for the job,” said Joe Neglia, an at-large delegate from Tempe.
“He is our commander in chief, and what he decides, we trust. We follow his lead,” said Shelby Busch, chair of We the People Arizona Alliance and a delegate from Phoenix.
The assassination attempt on Trump’s life at a rally near Pittsburgh, Pa., on Saturday put a spotlight on the understudy role now assigned to the senator.
“I was looking for new blood. … Vance has a great resume, so I like him. He has a lot to offer this country, and (he’s) combat ready, and if anything ever happens, I think he would be a good president,” said Bob Branch, an at-large delegate from Phoenix and a candidate for Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
He recalled when Ronald Reagan survived a shooting in March 1981, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963.
“Vice presidents matter,” Branch said. “We have seen a vice president be made president.”
The other finalists on Trump’s list were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.
Trump announced the choice on his Truth Social platform shortly before the Monday afternoon deadline for the state-by-state roll call of delegates.
Utah Sen. Mike Lee informed delegates from the stage of the Fiserv Forum in downtown Milwaukee. Vance soon emerged, standing with the Ohio delegation for the votes.
Vance, who is 39 and half Trump’s age, graduated from Yale Law School with top honors and gained fame with a memoir of an impoverished childhood titled “Hillbilly Elegy.”
He was not initially a Trump fan.
In 2016 he wrote that “Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office,” in an opinion piece for The New York Times. A month before the election, he called Trump “reprehensible” on social media over his views on migrants.
Since then, his stance has shifted dramatically. He has expressed regret for his attacks on Trump, with whom he is largely aligned ideologically.
Some delegates said Vance’s personal history and knowledge make him qualified for the vice presidency – and to step in for Trump in case tragedy strikes.
“It’s always been critical, so you just have to make sure you pick the right person,” said Julie McIlwain, a delegate from Maricopa County who chairs the Legislative District 11 Republican Committee.
Tyler Farnsworth, an alternate delegate from Tucson, said Vance brings credibility and excitement to the ticket.
“Everybody’s been thrilled,” he said, calling the choice “outstanding.”
“This is a man who has served our country in the Marine Corps, has an understanding of the private sector, has not been a lifelong politician,” he said. “He has made money in business, he has helped make deals, he’s young. … That is super exciting for the future of our country that we have young voices that will be in the Oval Office.”
For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.
