JD Vance Downplays VP Buzz

Earlier this week, the media was abuzz that JD Vance could be Trump’s top pick as VP.

Reports have been circulating ever since, especially because Vance was hardly at the top of the shortlist for Trump’s VP.

Now Vance is playing down the reports, saying that he and Trump have not even discussed Vance joining the ticket.

No Big Deal

It is a fairly safe bet that the buzz was started by Vance’s team in the hopes of helping him get atop that list.

He clearly wants in on Trump’s administration, now one of Trump’s fiercest loyalists after having been one of the faces of the Never-Trump movement in the GOP in 2016.

When Trump endorsed Vance, he took considerable heat for it, but since his come-to-Jesus moment regarding Trump, Vance has proven to be loyal.

Like everyone else, Vance knows that Trump’s VP will be the frontrunner in the 2028 election, so I will go out on a limb and say that Vance’s political aspirations go well beyond that Senate seat he currently occupies.

This week, Vance joined Fox News’ Laura Ingraham to discuss the buzz about him being VP, downplaying the story. Vance stated, "I've never actually spoken to the president about VP speculation. My simple answer is, I wanna help him however I can.

"I'm also happy to support the agenda in the United States Senate, and regardless, Laura, you have to remember, my job is to serve the people of Ohio, whether it's supporting Trump's agenda in the Senate, or serving in some other role."

Vance was one of the few battleground candidates that panned out for Trump in 2022, but Trump’s VP has to be about what he or she brings to the table for Trump. To this point, I still firmly believe that Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) should be the frontrunner for the position.

The only other candidate that I can see even remotely helping Trump as much as Scott would be Governor Ron DeSantis.

With recent reports that these two have kissed and made up, with DeSantis telling a group of supporters during a recent event that he will be raising money for Trump, and Trump then extending an olive branch, expect DeSantis VP talk to blow up in the media.

Having DeSantis on his ticket may be the only way that Trump can draw in DeSantis supporters, as they are livid regarding the attacks against DeSantis during the primary race.

The only wrench in that is that DeSantis is already on the record saying that he does not want to serve as VP, so it could hurt him more than help him if he decides to go back on his word, as the people who supported DeSantis widely did so because of his effectiveness and integrity.

If he suddenly reverses course and supports Trump and runs on his ticket, his integrity will be seriously compromised, at least as far as his supporters are concerned.