The American senator J D Vance has been appointed as Donald Trump's vice presidential candidate, reports several American media outlets.
At the same time, Trump has been officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate.
J D Vance is currently a Republican senator for Ohio and has been one of the favorites for the role for some time. The announcement that Vance was chosen as Trump's vice presidential candidate came on the first day of the Republican Party convention, which is being held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The 39-year-old Vance has a background as a venture capitalist and comes from Ohio, which is considered a key state for Trump to win the presidential election in the fall.
Former Trump Opponent
In connection with the announcement, Trump stated on his platform Truth Social that the selection was preceded by "long deliberation and consideration" and that he sees Vance as "best suited" for the task.
Vance was initially critical of Donald Trump, and has on occasion called him both "idiot" and "USA's Hitler", according to The Guardian. Over time, he has developed into a loyal supporter of the former president.
J D Vance has previously made himself known for writing the book "Hillbilly – a family and culture in crisis", where he seeks to explain why the white working class in rural areas is attracted to the real estate magnate Trump.
Trump Nominated
President Joe Biden's campaign staff has described J D Vance as an "extremist" and a denier of the 2020 election results following the announcement.
Former President Trump has now also been officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the convention. It started on Monday and will last for four days. Day three – Wednesday – is traditionally dedicated to the vice presidential candidate.
If elected, J D Vance would become one of the youngest vice presidents in history, according to NBC.
The four-day convention, which began on Monday, is attracting around 50,000 Republicans to Milwaukee in the state of Wisconsin.
At the convention, the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates are elected, and decisions are also made about the party program.
A large number of Republican politicians are giving speeches during the event. Several people who have become known outside of politics are also speaking at the convention, including MMA profile Dana White.
Source: New York Times, CBC