The former President Donald Trump announced Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his Vice President running mate on Monday, following months of speculation.

Vance, 39, not only brings youth to the ticket but also populist ideological bonafides to bolster Trump’s campaign. Trump’s son, Don Jr., was a vocal advocate for Vance in the final run-up to the announcement as other VP hopefuls including Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fl) faded.

The selection by Trump solidifies Vance as the ideological heir to the MAGA doctrine going forward. Should the Trump ticket win in November, Vance would become the 50th Vice President of the United States and one of the youngest. 

Vance’s early life was the premise of his bestselling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which tracks his life from growing-up in poverty, to joining the Marine Corps (where he fought in Iraq), to getting accepted into Yale Law School. Vance cites his time in the Marines and service in the Iraq War as a catalyst for his skepticism about U.S. foreign policy adventurism.

Vance is known for his populist domestic policies and a realist view on foreign policy. Vance has consistently questioned further U.S. aid to Ukraine, and opposed calls for escalation with Iran last October. In May, Vance spoke at a conference hosted by The American Conservative and the Quincy Institute, where he spoke about the harmony of Christian morality and foreign policy restraint. 

Vance has found bipartisan appeal, working across the aisle on many populist initiatives, such as the 2023 rail safety bill with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), John Fetterman (D-PA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Marco Rubio.