JD Vance’s youth and background could help boost Trump in Pa.

MILWAUKEE — With all the excitement surrounding former President Donald Trump’s nomination following the assassination attempt against him, some delegates at the Republican National Convention were unaware he’d even picked a running mate late Monday.

As word spread, a commotion started around the Ohio delegation, and shortly after Vance entered the Fiserv Forum arena to thunderous applause.

“He’s not only gonna help in Pennsylvania, he’s gonna help in Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and we’re gonna win all four,” said Michael McMullen, a Pennsylvania delegate from North Hills, as he watched Vance make the rounds on the convention floor.

“I view him as a 21st century Abraham Lincoln, based on his upbringing,” said Louis Capozzi, a delegate from Philadelphia. “I think when President Trump gets elected in November, after four years, he’ll be looking to pass the baton to somebody, and I think JD Vance is that person.”

A one-time Trump critic who became a loyal ally, Vance, 39, is now the first millennial to join a major-party ticket during a campaign when American voters have expressed deep concern about the age of its political leaders. Democrats were quick Monday to seize on past remarks he’d made denouncing Trump and a more recent statement in which he blamed Biden for the assassination attempt Saturday.

Vance rose to national fame with the 2016 publication of his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. He was elected to the Senate in 2022 and has become one of the staunchest champions of the former president’s “Make America Great Again” agenda, particularly on trade, foreign policy, and immigration.

He joins the ticket largely untested in national politics. And his assent means that two white men will lead a ticket as Trump tries to make inroads with Black and Latino voters.

“Seems like a missed opportunity,” one Pennsylvania delegate reluctant to publicly criticize the pick said on the convention floor. “What does he add?” asked the delegate, who was hoping for a running mate with a more diverse background or with more moderate appeal.

But even delegates who didn’t love Vance as the pick described him as unlikely to change the trajectory of the race, which as of lately, looks positive for Trump.

“I thought he’s a little young to be our next president but hey, if that’s what Trump wants, we’re all behind that 100%,” said Rick Saccone, a delegate and former congressional candidate from Western Pennsylvania. “Everybody had their favorites, so Trump must feel a special connection with him and that’s important for the ticket.”

Vance’s nomination was, on one hand, hugely significant, coming just days after Trump survived an assassination attempt that put in focus the critical role of a vice president as threats of political violence have increased in the United States. It was also somewhat lost in the general hype of the start of the convention, and on the day a classified documents case against Trump was thrown out.

But as Vance walked through the arena, delegates flocked to his path, giving him high fives and handshakes. Some quickly wrote his name under the TRUMP signs distributed through the crowd.

For many Pennsylvania delegates, Vance is a reliable choice, someone from a small town in Ohio who built a political brand (and wrote a best-selling memoir) off his upbringing. That background could energize Trump’s strength in post-industrial towns and rural areas where he’s already made huge inroads since 2016.

“Sen. Vance is really going to represent well the rustbelt states that have been forgotten by many in Washington D.C.,” State Rep. Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster) said. “When you look at his life experience, where he grew up, how he grew up, I think that will translate to younger voters who can relate to him, especially in times like this.”

Republican leaders leaned into his working-class background as they nominated him on Monday.

“Ohio values are in his blood,” Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said. “He is a crusader for the people of Ohio in the United States Senate. He has never forgotten the working people of our country.”

Ohio’s Republican Senate candidate Bernie Moreno called Vance, “a patriot who loves America,” who “knows what it’s like to live in poverty, forgotten by Washington politicians.”

Democrats were quick to point to past statements Vance has made criticizing Trump.

“This might come as a surprise but I actually agree with JD on a few things,” Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman said in a fundraising email. “For instance, I agree with him when he called Trump a ‘cynical asshole’ and when he said Trump is ‘unfit for our nation’s highest office.’”

The Biden campaign called him a rubber stamp for Trump’s “extreme MAGA agenda,” and particularly highlighted past comments he’s made on abortion rights.

“Donald Trump picked JD Vance as his running mate because Vance will do what Mike Pence wouldn’t on Jan. 6: bend over backwards to enable Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda, even if it means breaking the law and no matter the harm to the American people,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in the statement.

In the arena, where Trump was expected to make his first appearance later in the evening, Pennsylvania delegates said the choice made sense for Trump, who is known to prioritize personal relationships and loyalty.

Val Biancaniello, a delegate from Delaware County, said she was happy with Vance but echoed a common refrain: whoever Trump wants.

“Anyone that Trump nominates, everyone will be in agreement with,” she said. “No one’s arguing with him right now. Whoever he feels comfortable with, that’s our guy.”

Sue Helm, a delegate from the Harrisburg area, sat back as the crowd crushed around Vance on the floor. The 80-year-old former Pennsylvania state representative liked the pick.

“He gets along with both Donalds, that’s important,” she said, referencing both Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr.

“And hey, he’s a good-lookin’ guy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this article.