ROANOKE, Va. – Just two days after he was shot, Donald Trump announced Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his pick for vice president.
The assassination attempt has put a lot of people on edge, but 10 News Political Analyst Ed Lynch said the timing actually works in former President Trump’s favor.
“The timing of this allows Trump to totally dominate the headlines for at least a week or so. Tick, tick, tick, I mean, we’re getting closer and closer to the beginning of early voting,” Lynch said.
But who is J.D. Vance?
“Do you have any idea who it is?” 10 News Reporter Abbie Coleman asked one Roanoke voter.
“I do not,” they said.
But for some voters, they say the pick doesn’t make a difference.
“Would it have mattered who his vice presidential pick was?” Coleman asked.
“No,” the same voter said.
“He has your vote either way?” Coleman asked.
“Yep,” they said.
“I’m pretty liberal, I watch with not a sense of who is going to sway my vote. Things are very complicated in this race as I’m sure you know. But just for thinking of my own values and my own priorities,” another voter said.
Lynch tells us Vance’s age was most likely a factor. He’s only 39 — in stark contrast to President Biden and Trump, whose ages are heavily criticized.
“Numbers among young people are already moving what for Trump is in a favorable direction. I think he wanted to solidify some of that. It is in a sense a historic choice,” he said.
But aside from that, Lynch tells us because Vance and Trump are so similar ideologically, he doesn’t add much to the ticket.
“Vance is very conservative, like Trump. He’s pro-life, like Trump. He’s pro-business, like Trump. I think that he will probably reassure some mainline Republicans,” he said.
But another reason for the pick could be how he’ll stack up against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“J.D. Vance is going to come out swinging against Biden, against Harris, against the Democratic party, against liberals. Harris is going to spend most of the debate either refuting or trying to catch up,” Lynch said.