Why Trump’s VP decide has used a number of monikers over time
Ohio Senator JD Vance was named Donald Trump’s running mate on Monday, in a victory for his MAGA base.
Vance swept to national attention when he published his bestselling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ in 2016, the year Trump was elected president.
In the book – which became a Netflix movie directed by Ron Howard – Vance explains one of the questions many have asked in the wake of his nomination: what does ‘JD’ stand for?
There are actually several answers, as the initials have stood for different monikers over the Senator’s life.
In his memoir, Vance speaks about being originally named James Donald Bowman by his father, Donald Bowman.
Ohio Senator JD Vance was named Donald Trump’s running mate on Monday, in a victory for his MAGA base
Vance swept to national attention when he published his bestselling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ in 2016, the year Trump was elected president
Bowman divorced Vance’s mother Bev and gave him up for adoption at the age of six.
Vance’s mother eventually re-married to Bob Hamel, with the young boy being adopted and re-named James David Hamel.
Bev slightly changed her son’s middle name from his father Donald to his uncle David so that he could continue to go by JD.
‘This seemed a bit of a stretch even when I was six,’ Vance wrote. ‘Any old D name would have done, so long as it wasn’t Donald.’
JD Vance officially took his last name after Bev and Hamel broke up and he decided to go by his grandfather and grandmother’s surnames.
He and his wife and fellow law school classmate Usha Chilukuri both changed their last names legally to Vance when they got married.
Trump actually forgot Vance’s name at a rally where he endorsed his bid for Senate in Ohio in 2022.
The GOP nominee made his VP announcement on Truth Social, dropping it just as delegates were rubber stamping his nomination as presidential candidate at their convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In his memoir, Vance speaks about being originally named James Donald Bowman by his father, Donald Bowman
He and his wife and fellow law school classmate Usha Chilukuri both changed their last names legally to Vance when they got married
‘As Vice President, J.D. will continue to fight for our Constitution, stand with our Troops, and will do everything he can to help me MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,’ he wrote in a statement that cited his career as a Marine, bestselling author, and in business.
Vance arrived on the convention floor two hours later to a hero’s welcome for the official nomination vote.
The Biden campaign immediately went on the attack, picking over Vance’s hardline record on abortion and saying he would do the bidding of billionaires and corporations.
Vance swept to national attention when he published his bestselling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ in 2016, the year Trump was elected president.
He has been a senator for less than two years but has established himself as one of the fiercest defenders of Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ agenda, especially when it comes to foreign policy, trade and immigration.
The former venture capitalist and U.S. Marine had initially been critical of Trump.
He didn’t vote for Trump in 2016 and around that time tweeted: ‘My god what an idiot.’
But insiders said he became increasingly politicized as he watched the nation’s elite institutions turn on the Trump presidency even as he delivered on his promises.
Since then he become personally close with the former president and his son Donald Trump Jr.
