Trump Unveils VP Pick And Reactions Run The Gamut From Fear-Mongering To ‘F*** It, We Ride!’

Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) would be his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, prompting a wide range of reactions from people on both sides of the political aisle.

Vance, a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq as a combat correspondent, was a Trump-critic early on but has since changed his views. “I didn’t think he was going to be a good president,” Vance said during a recent Fox News appearance. “He was a great president. And it’s one of the reasons why I’m working so hard to make sure he gets a second term.”

As soon as the news broke that Vance was to be Trump’s vice presidential pick reactions began to flood X from both sides of the aisle.

President Joe Biden’s response was almost immediate and included a fundraising request: “Here’s the deal about J.D. Vance. He talks a big game about working people. But now, he and Trump want to raise taxes on middle-class families while pushing more tax cuts for the rich.”

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro added, “As a friend put it, Vance is truly a ‘f*** it, we ride!’ pick from Trump. Demonstrates real confidence — and shows that he wants a bulldog. Vance is certainly that. In terms of pure IQ and speaking ability, Vance is the best candidate Trump could pick.

As a friend put it, Vance is truly a “f*** it, we ride!” pick from Trump. Demonstrates real confidence — and shows that he wants a bulldog. Vance is certainly that. In terms of pure IQ and speaking ability, Vance is the best candidate Trump could pick.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 15, 2024

Guy Benson laid out some of his thoughts on the matter in a lengthy post on X, noting in part that Vance was very young and lacked “executive experience,” but also that he was being given a “huge platform, huge opportunity” to prove himself.

“Vance is highly intelligent, served our country in uniform with great distinction, and has a wonderful young family. His bestselling memoir was searing, vulnerable, and insightful. His experiences, some painful and difficult, will resonate with many Americans,” Benson explained, adding, “Politically, I … don’t love it. Committed Trump fans are loving the choice, but Trump already has a hyped up, highly motivated base in his column no matter what, especially after this weekend.”

“It’s Trump’s choice alone, of course, and he may feel like the pick doesn’t really matter much. His supporters will say to trust Trump’s judgment on this. We’ll see if voters agree, or react in any significant way to this at all. Trump has doubled down on populism/base politics here,” Benson continued. “The Left will be eager to define Vance in as negative a light as possible, asap. Vance will need to introduce himself to America in a compelling way. As I said, he’s very smart and can be quite impressive in interviews. Let’s see how he performs moving forward, starting on Wednesday night.”

Thoughts: Vance is highly intelligent, served our country in uniform with great distinction, and has a wonderful young family. His bestselling memoir was searing, vulnerable, and insightful. His experiences, some painful and difficult, will resonate with many Americans.…

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) July 15, 2024

The Federalist’s Sean Davis noted that the reactions to Trump’s announcement were telling in themselves, saying, “The absolute worst people in media and politics are having public temper tantrums about JD Vance becoming the next VP. That’s a great sign.”

The absolute worst people in media and politics are having public temper tantrums about JD Vance becoming the next VP. That’s a great sign. pic.twitter.com/uPD6WG9kAv

— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) July 15, 2024

A number of others, including Katie Pavlich, responded by saying they were looking forward to the vice-presidential debate between Vance and current Vice President Kamala Harris.

Looking forward to the Vance vs. Kamala debate ????????

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) July 15, 2024