Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, is making headlines as one of the reported top contenders to be former President Trump’s running mate.
Vance and his wife, Usha, sat down with Lawrence Jones for an exclusive interview, where he discussed his military service and why he believes Trump needs a second term in office.
“I care a lot about national defense, I care a lot about whether the troops have what they need to fight. I care a lot about, frankly, whether when we ask our kids to go to war, we ought to make sure it’s for the right reasons. And so you definitely think about those things, maybe a little bit differently, as a U.S. Marine,” said Vance on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday.
Vance described Trump as a “great president” and said he brought prosperity, freedom and “peace on the world stage.”
Usha said she is supportive of her husband if he gets the call to serve as VP.
“I believe in JD and I really love him. And so we’ll just sort of see what happens with our life. We’re open.”
DONALD TRUMP HAS PICKED HIS RUNNING MATE AND THEY WILL BE AT THURSDAY’S DEBATE
Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio, speaks to members of the media outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York, US, on Monday, May 13, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Vance said, although he was critical of Trump in 2016, his presidency proved him wrong.
“It’s about the success of Trump’s presidency. But I also think his presidency revealed, at least to me, how corrupt the media was. It taught me a very important lesson about how the media lies,” said Vance.
Vance said unlike Vice President Kamala Harris, he will not rely on talking points and can clearly state what he believes.
“I actually do know what I believe, and I’m not afraid to say, look, I was wrong or I was right about this issue, but it’s not talking points with me. Politicians are really good at saying things very well, but not actually saying anything at all. But that’s the Kamala Harris problem, right?”
Vance added about Harris, “I just listen to her for 10 minutes, and she didn’t say anything.”
Vance said if he becomes Trump’s VP pick, he will be able to handle the attacks.
“I grew up in a poor family, and I was raised in a working-class community. So I do think there’s something about my biography that makes it a little bit harder for these guys to attack me, and maybe that’s why they fear me. I just go out and try to do the best I can, and if they’re afraid of me it’s because I’ll take it.”
Vance said he believes candidates need to focus on the issues with “substance” and avoid talking points.
However, Vance expressed gratitude for being considered and was honest about how he would feel if he’s not chosen.
“There’s certainly going to be a little bit of disappointment. But I think the bigger thing is it’s such a cool thing to get to do the job that I do.”
The identity of Trump’s VP choice remains a mystery, but a number of prospective contenders were recently asked to provide documents to Trump’s team as part of the vetting process, including Vance, who some insiders say could be the key to flipping working-class Democrat voters in a number of consequential battleground states.
“J.D. Vance has become a fixture on the road for Donald Trump and is extremely popular with the Trump base,” one top GOP strategist told Fox News Digital, referencing Vance’s frequent appearances with Trump on the campaign trail and beyond.
“He would be a lot of help across the entire Rust Belt and could help pick up working-class Democrat votes in places even outside his own state of Ohio. He would be an asset everywhere, really, but especially in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.”
The three states mentioned were all won by Trump in 2016 when they constituted part of the so-called “blue wall” for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton but flipped to President Biden in 2020.
Regardless of what happens, Usha and JD said they will continue to do what they love, which is being a mom and dad to their three children.
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Tune in to “Fox & Friends” at 6 a.m. ET on Thursday for an interview with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and his fiancée, Mindy Noce. On Friday, “Fox & Friends” will interview Gov. Doug Burgum, R-N.D., and his wife, Kathryn, as part of the series featuring potential Trump VP picks.
Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
