If you were looking for clues about what kind of campaign former President Donald Trump plans to run from here until Election Day, you got a big one Monday night when he announced U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate.
The Vance selection quashed any notion of a “unity ticket” or new, more unifying tone that would have come with picking rival Nikki Haley or another more moderate voice. Instead, a Vance pick signals that the Trump campaign from here to November will be all about energizing the conservative, MAGA-heavy GOP base.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
“He’s young. He’s quick on his feet. He will excite the base,” said Melanie Collier, a Georgia GOP delegate. “And he would be prepared to step in, God forbid anything happened to my precious president.”
GOP chairman Josh McKoon called Vance “a perfect, fantastic choice” and said Vance is “the future of the party in a lot of ways aligned with President Trump on America First issues.”
Just 18 months into his first term in the Senate, Vance has quickly emerged as a vocal proponent of the former president’s agenda in Washington and a prominent attack dog for Trump.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
In the hours after the attempted assassination on the former president Saturday, Vance quickly blamed President Joe Biden in a post on social media and called veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi an “absolute scumbag” for earlier suggesting that convicted felons should not have Secret Service protection. “Kick his ass out of Congress,” Vance wrote.
Along with his aggressive defense of Trump, the Ohio senator also defines who Republicans now consider their most reliable base — white, working-class men, especially in manufacturing states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Vance’s own Ohio that were once reliably Democratic strongholds.
Asked how he plans to use Vance in the campaign, Trump told ABC News: “I’m going to leave him in Pennsylvania.” Then, Trump said, he’d send Vance to Wisconsin and “a lot of other places where people are hurting.”
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Like other Republicans, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr brought up Vance’s hardscrabble upbringing in an Ohio manufacturing town, which was made famous in his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” Vance went on to enlist as a Marine, fight in the Iraq War, and later attend Yale Law School.
“His story embodies the resilience of the American spirit,” said Carr. “No matter your circumstances, with hard work, grit, education and opportunity, everyone can live the American dream.”
Not everyone who knows Vance is a fan. His former Yale roommate, Georgia’s Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin, called him “a sellout” since he once strongly opposed Trump. Vance is also a “vindictive” and “angry” person, McLaurin said.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that Trump doubled down and picked the running mate who best fits his vision for a second term: contempt and revenge,” he said.
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BIDEN SIT DOWN. While Republicans were busy kicking off their convention, President Joe Biden was at work trying to reassure Democrats he’s still up to the job of president, including by doing a lengthy, unscripted interview.
Speaking to NBC’s Lester Holt, Biden said it was a mistake to say last week that Democrats should put Trump “in the bull’s eye.” Republicans, including Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance, who Trump has selected as his vice presidential running mate, pointed to Biden’s language as a direct cause of the attempt on Trump’s life.
“It was a mistake to use the word. … I meant to focus on him. Focus on what he’s doing. Focus on his policies. Focus on the number of lies he told in the debate,” Biden said.
The president also described a phone call with Trump in the wake of the shooting Saturday as “very cordial.” More:
“I told him how concerned I was, and wanted to make sure I knew how he was actually doing. He sounded good. He said he was fine and he thanked me for calling him. I told him he was literally in the prayers of Jill and me, and I hope his whole family was weathering this."
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
‘VILLAGE IDIOT’? The Wall Street Journal editorial board condemned Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins of Jackson for a social media post claiming President Joe Biden “sent the order” to the would-be assassin of former President Donald Trump. Biden recently said Democrats should put Trump “in the bull’s eye,” albeit in the context of campaigning. The president has said the reference was a mistake.
In an editorial published Monday, the Journal’s leaders labeled Collins “the village idiot” and wrote “It’s hard to imagine a more incendiary message in the wake of an assassination attempt.”
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RNC NOTEBOOK. The “Politically Georgia” team is on the ground in Milwaukee providing you news and updates from the Republican National convention. Some highlights from Day 1:
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
- Just days after surviving an attempt on his life, former President Donald Trump got a hero’s welcome from the GOP delegates in the audience at Fiserv Forum on Monday night. Trump wore a large white bandage on his right ear where he had been shot and sat in the VIP box alongside his new vice presidential pick, U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
- Georgia Republicans are kicking off every day of the convention with a delegation breakfast at their hotel, which is about an hour’s drive from the Fiserv Center. Monday’s speaker was Faith & Freedom Coalition founder Ralph Reed, while Tuesday’s breakfast guest is Gov. Brian Kemp.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
- U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene delivered a five-minute speech just before primetime that started out on a somber note but ended with her usual far-right talking points. Does the lack of a prominent speaking role indicate the Rome Republican is no longer part of Trump’s inner circle? Her failed effort to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, who oversaw the roll call of states voting for Trump on Monday night, seems to have left her on the outs.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
- U.S. Rep. Rick McCormick of Suwanee got as close as he could to the stage and smiled widely as his friend Vance was announced as Trump’s running mate. The two have bonded in the past over being Marines. McCormick declared Monday, “What a classy act.”
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
MORE RAVE REVIEWS. Former President Donald Trump’s selection of U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his vice presidential pick drew supportive reactions from Republicans in Georgia, most of whom were already faithful to his campaign. The AJC’s Michelle Baruchman provided a roundup of some of that reaction.
“U.S. Sen. Vance is an America First patriot with a tremendous story that will resonate with millions of Americans, including those in the Rust Belt. The momentum behind President Trump is real and growing,” Lt. Gov. Burt Jones wrote on X.
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson, posted a photo of himself and Vance and captioned it, “WE ARE SO BACK!”
Predictably, Democrats were dismayed at the announcement of Vance.
State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, said Trump chose the “most aggressive and most accusatory of all the possible choices he had.”
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Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP
CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE. Former President Donald Trump notched a legal victory Monday when a federal judge dismissed the classified documents case brought against him. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled the appointment of special counsel Jack Smith violated the U.S. Constitution.
Smith investigated and is prosecuting the case against Trump for illegally hoarding top secret records at his home and obstructing FBI efforts to retrieve the documents. Smith said Monday he will appeal Cannon’s decision, which legal scholars say contradicts long-held precedents.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
LISTEN UP. The “Politically Georgia” team is in Milwaukee all week for the RNC.
On today’s show, Congressional 3rd District GOP nominee Brian Jack talks about his role on the Republican Party’s rules committee and what to expect on day 2.
State Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, shares her thoughts on former President Donald Trump selecting U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate and why Georgia Democratic lawmakers are again pushing for gun reform in the wake of the assassination attempt targeting Trump.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
In case you missed Monday’s show, former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler reacted to the assassination attempt targeting Trump and why she has worked to build grassroots support for Republicans. Also, University of Georgia Professor Charles Bullock provided some historical perspective on political violence.
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Credit: Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC
Credit: Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC
SO MONEY. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock won’t face another Senate election until 2028, but he’s been busy stockpiling cash.
The Georgia Democrat reported roughly $5.4 million in cash on hand and raised roughly $330,000 between April and June.
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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
ELECTION BOARD DRAMA. A Fulton County election official has asked Gov. Brian Kemp to remove three members of the State Election Board and its executive director over actions that may have violated Georgia’s open meetings law, the AJC’s David Wickert reports.
On Friday, three Republican members of the state board — Janelle King, Rick Jeffares and Janice Johnston — and the board’s executive director, former GOP lawmaker Mike Coan, held an impromptu meeting to approve new election rules in advance of November’s hotly contested presidential election. The move came after the state attorney general’s office warned the board that the meeting could violate the Georgia Open Meetings Act.
On Monday, Fulton County Election Board Chair Cathy Woolard asked Kemp to remove the three state board members and Coan, citing alleged violations of the state ethics code and meetings law. Woolard said she filed the complaint in a personal capacity, not as chair of the election board.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden sits down for an interview with BET’s Ed Gordon. Later he delivers remarks at the NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas and participates in an economic summit with Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nevada.
- The House and Senate are in recess all week as Republicans convene in Milwaukee.
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Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
HAPPY TRAILS. It was the end of an era at the Georgia Bankers Association on Monday as Joe Brannen officially retired as president and CEO after exactly 44 years with the influential group.
Brannen has been a familiar face to anyone who’s roamed the halls of the state Capitol during his many legislative sessions, stalking lawmakers with the best of them. He’ll be succeeded by Tripp Cofield, who was most recently president and CEO of the GBA Insurance Trust.
With his banking years behind him, we’re hoping Brannen can now spend more time with the lady in his life, his famous Goldendoodle, Lady Brannen.
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
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