Republican Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio, who is considered a potential pick to be former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate in the 2024 election, appeared alongside President Trump in a Manhattan court on Monday during his “hush money” trial. Mr. Vance was seen entering the courthouse with the former president as part of his entourage while President Trump’s former attorney-turned-enemy, Michael Cohen, took the stand to testify.
The race for the vice presidential spot has heated up in recent weeks, as Mr. Vance and others have been portrayed as auditioning for the position after attending a recent event at President Trump’s home and club Mar-a-Lago in Florida. Apart from Senator Vance, other Republican leaders who have shown strong support for President Trump include Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.
Senator Vance told CNN’s Dana Bash that the attacks on President Trump were “not about the law” and “not about justice,” but rather a distraction from the “failed record” of President Joe Biden. In his Sunday interview on CNN, he also defended President Trump’s direct communication style, particularly regarding the former president’s comments about the shame Jewish Biden voters should feel.
We have to remember, Donald Trump is very direct here and he hasn’t singled out Jewish Americans,” Mr. Vance said. He singled out a lot of people for voting for Joe Biden.
Senator Vance has praised the former president in other television interviews this year, telling ABC News in February that if he had been his vice president in President Trump’s administration, he would have done the opposite of then-Vice President Mike Pence and considered alternate slates of electors before certifying the 2020 election.