Trump picks J.D. Vance as running mate

MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump has picked Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate, according to the Associated Press.

Speculation on the pick had narrowed recently to also include North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

But it was Vance, the once-fierce critic turned loyal ally, who won out. Trump posted the news on his Truth Social media platform Monday afternoon.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump wrote.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social network as the Republican National Convention got underway in Milwaukee.

Vance, 39, rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and is largely untested in national politics. He faced criticism in the wake of the assassination attempt for a post on X suggesting President Joe Biden was to blame for the violence.

Biden’s reelection campaign issued a statement calling out Vance for saying, had he been vice president, he would have allowed “multiple slates of electors” to challenge Biden’s victory over Trump four years ago. Trump repeatedly promoted falsehoods about election fraud before and after Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters loyal to the former president stormed the Capitol to try to stop the certification of his loss.

Vance wasn’t always a Trump defender. In the early stages of Trump’s political career, Vance cast him as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.” But like many Republicans who sought relevance in the Trump era, Vance eventually shifted his tone. He said he was proved wrong by Trump’s performance in office and evolved into one of his most steadfast defenders. He’s challenged the legitimacy of criminal prosecutions and civil verdicts against Trump and questions the results of the 2020 election.

His support for Trump also killed Biden’s nomination of April Perry to serve as Chicago’s top federal prosecutor. Perry would have been the first woman in that post, but Vance blocked the nomination to protest the federal prosecutions of Trump. Eventually, Biden withdrew Perry’s name — but then nominated her for a lifetime job as a federal district court judge.

Turning Point USA founder to speak at convention

Meanwhile, the list of convention speakers, announced Monday afternoon, includes Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA who is a Chicago-area native who attended Wheeling High School.

Kirk founded the group in 2012. He’s an avid Trump supporter who considers critical race theory and the concept of white privilege as racist against whites.

The group’s key principles, Kirk has said, are rooted in capitalism, the U.S. Constitution and that the U.S. is the “greatest country in the history of the world.”

But when the group tried to start a chapter Taft High School on the Northwest Side, administrators rejected the group, calling it “an organization promoting racial intolerance.”

Trump could appear at convention Monday

Republicans in Milwaukee may have a surprise speaker, with Trump likely to take to the convention stage about 48 hours after an attempt on his life. Trump arrived in Milwaukee Sunday.

The convention has two sessions Monday. The afternoon gathering is to approve the party platform. No speakers have been announced for the evening session.

‘Make America Wealthy Once Again’

The official theme for the kickoff session is “Make America Wealthy Once Again.”

Monday morning, U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle issued a statement saying security in Milwaukee has been beefed up.

“I am confident in the security plan our Secret Service RNC coordinator and our partners have put in place, which we have reviewed and strengthened in the wake of Saturday’s shooting,” the statement said.

Protesters gather

Meanwhile, anti-Trump protesters also are arriving in Milwaukee to make their voices heard, and some of them gathered in Red Arrow Park Monday morning.

The park is less than a half-mile away from the Fiserv Forum, where delegates will gather Monday night, though it is on the other side of the Milwaukee River.

Attendees began gathering about 10 a.m., and the program kicked off about 11 a.m. About 200 people had gathered by late morning to hear a series of speakers. After that, they planned to march around Fiserv Forum, or as close to the arena as the beefed-up security measures allow.

Protesters waved signs with slogans that included “Lock him up.” They were met by a smaller group of counterprotesters, leading to a lot of yelling. But things remained peaceful.

The event was organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC, which said it wanted to “fight the racist and reactionary agenda of the Republican Party,” defend women’s, LGBTQ and reproductive rights, and defend and expand immigrant rights, among other goals.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Compiled from reports by the Associated Press and Lynn Sweet and Ashlee Rezin of the Sun-Times