Vance may be a real asset to Trump campaign

At the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last week, J.D. Vance told delegates: “Tonight is a night of hope. A celebration of what America once was and, with God’s grace, what it soon will be again.” He lambasted globalization and pledged to restore the ability of the American economy to create more jobs and be an energy-producing economy.
When choosing Vance, the Republicans’ presidential nominee Donald Trump opted to escalate the stature of a rising star of the right wing of politics in the US and to intensify the appeal of the populist movement. It is Trump who has boosted that conservative-populist trend in American life since he first ran for president against Hillary Clinton in 2016. But Trump needs a successor, someone who can carry the torch of his Republican campaign in the years to come. He sees in Vance a political figure for whom he can serve as a political uncle as they campaign ahead of the Nov. 5 election against the Democratic successor to President Joe Biden, likely to be Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump selected Mike Pence as his running mate eight years ago. But Pence was a former governor of Indiana and part of the Republican establishment. Trump now wants to move further away from the establishment Republicans who were previously the dominant faction of the party. The establishment wing promotes the traditional Republican Party views of fiscal conservatism and support for a bigger US military. Nevertheless, its foundations have been shaken as it has compromised more on issues of government spending, abortion, taxes and frequent American military interventions abroad.
Trump wants to undermine the set of beliefs espoused by the Republican establishment with the help of the man he hopes will be his future vice president. The essential attitude of the conservative-populist pursuit in American politics, as manifested by both Trump and Vance, is that these policies are depriving the American people of their liberties and freedoms. High taxes mean that people cannot do what they want with their money and America’s wars overseas mean that the US government is more interested in what is happening in other countries than on what is good for America and the American people. Repeatedly, Trump and Vance affirm their desire to “Make America Great Again.” And to follow “America First” policies.
Vance is a disciple of MAGA. There are reports that he is a good friend of Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Trump. According to NBC News, President Trump was leaning toward North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his pick for running mate. That’s when Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump chimed in. “Don Jr. and Eric went crazy: ‘Why would you do something so stupid? He offers us nothing’,” a long-time Republican operative familiar with the discussion told NBC News. “They were basically all like ‘J.D., J.D., J.D.’,” the operative said.
There have also been reports that Vance may approach his old acquaintances in Silicon Valley, California, who are known for their very liberal views and pro-Democratic Party stances. He will seek to neutralize them and convince them that the Trump agenda for the Republican Party and for the whole of the US would also fit with their own interests.
The selection of Vance also reveals that Trump thought about other candidates and later dismissed them. He could not nominate Nikki Haley because she was his rival in the Republican primaries and always campaigned against him. He dismissed other choices like Burgum because he signed a law in his home state that banned almost all abortions. Vance is pro-life too. However, he never had the chance to sign a law determining what the rules on abortion should be.

Trump needs a successor, someone who can carry the torch of his Republican campaign in the years to come.

Maria Maalouf

Vance’s age may also have been a positive factor that appealed to Trump. He will turn 40 in August. This could help Trump reach young voters, who are usually more liberal in their outlook. If Trump can siphon off a segment of them to vote for him, this will make it easier for him to return to the White House.
Vance started out as a critic of Trump. Now, he is his running mate. This could also be a demonstration of the success of Trump. He convinced a former political enemy to support his views. Trump now aims to turn more of his critics into political allies. Since Vance was in the Marines, he will help Trump reach out to military men and women and their families. Trump can even do well with intellectuals thanks to the nomination of Vance, who is the author of a best-selling book titled “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” He wrote it in 2016. It is a personal memoir of what he called “Appalachian values.” It is about growing up poor in Kentucky and what his family faced when living in Ohio, confronting many social and economic problems. While this book appeals to intellectuals, it will also resonate well with the American middle class. This could make Vance a real asset to Trump’s 2024 campaign.

• Maria Maalouf is a Lebanese journalist, broadcaster, publisher, and writer. X: @bilarakib