But in selecting Vance over two other finalists — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota — Trump went with the candidate with the least amount of political experience and one who is already a target of President Joe Biden’s Democratic allies.

Vance supported a national abortion ban backed by other Senate GOP lawmakers, contrasting with Trump’s efforts to distance himself from calls for new federal abortion limits. And Vance has a long track record as a fierce Trump critic before he ran for office.

“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,” said Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Atlanta, who roomed with Vance at Yale Law School.

Several members of Georgia’s GOP delegation predicted Vance would fire up the party’s base in a state where Trump depends on soaring turnout. Some applauded the decision to eschew Burgum and Rubio, who were seen as more likely to sway independent or swing voters.

Credit: NYT

Credit: NYT

Brant Frost V, a conservative activist from Coweta County who serves as a GOP delegate, said Vance is “the best option in 2028.” He described Trump’s other finalists as “awful or a placeholder.”

The pick could reflect Trump’s changing political calculus after Biden’s poor debate performance in Atlanta last month and Trump’s clenched-fist response to a failed assassination attempt over the weekend buoyed Republican supporters.

“If you believe that Trump is going to win and you don’t want to play it safe, I think a bold choice would be JD Vance,” said Brandon Phillips, another delegate who serves as the top aide to U.S. Rep. Mike Collins.

“You want to add someone to your team who is going to be an articulate and bold messenger, a tactician in moving that agenda on Capitol Hill,” Phillips said.

‘A MAGA fighter’

The Ohio Republican gained national attention after his 2016 memoir about his hardscrabble upbringing, “Hillbilly Elegy,” became a surprise bestseller. Around that time, he criticized Trump as “cultural heroin” who would lead the white working class to a “very dark place.” He touted himself as “a Never Trump guy” who voted for a third-party contender in that election.

And McLaurin, the Democratic state senator, has released texts that he said Vance sent him in the runup to the 2016 election that show Vance had even deeper misgivings about Trump. In them, Vance questioned whether Trump was “America’s Hitler.”

But Vance abandoned those views in the years after Trump’s victory, and he championed the MAGA agenda during his 2022 bid for the Senate. Trump’s endorsement helped Vance swing that election, and he emerged as a particularly forceful advocate of Trump’s immigration and economic policies after taking office last year.

Democrats quickly highlighted those stances and others, including his refusal to commit to accepting the results of this year’s election and his support for tariffs. State Rep. Derrick Jackson, D-Tyrone, said Vance’s selection would only invigorate Trump’s opponents.

“Picking Vance helps secure the victory for Democrats,” he said. “He doesn’t expand the electorate to win in November. In fact, this may backfire.”

Trump’s allies hope Vance’s tough upbringing and military background can help sway working-class voters, particularly in a quartet of Midwest states that Biden aims to recapture. State Sen. Jason Anavitarte, a Paulding Republican, said it burnishes the GOP’s appeal to the “marginalized working class.”

Vance’s allies also see his youth as a benefit in a race that features the two oldest presidential candidates in U.S. history. Debbie Dooley, a tea party activist serving as a GOP alternate in Milwaukee, said she’s already looking forward to Vance’s debate with Vice President Kamala Harris.

“He’s a MAGA fighter — young, articulate and principled,” she said. “I’m already making plans to attend Trump’s inauguration.”

Staff writer Shaddi Abusaid contributed to this article.