Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, known for his strong defense of Second Amendment rights, has been named as former President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 running mate, on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, according to Fox News.
The announcement came as Trump is still healing up from an attempted assassination attempt on Saturday at an event in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president was hit in the ear, and observers say Trump was miraculously lucky. He had turned his head slightly just before the bullet struck. Had he not turned, the bullet could have torn through his head, killing him.
Vance is on the record opposing further restrictions on the ability of citizens to purchase firearms. According to The Guardian, the Ohio senator opposed efforts to ban bump stocks, contending that such actions do not solve the problem of gun-related violence.
“What is the real gun violence problem in this country,” Vance reportedly stated, “and are we legislating in a way that solves fake problems? Or solves real problems?” Vance said, before adding: “My very strong suspicion is that the Schumer legislation is aimed at a PR problem, not something that’s going to meaningfully reduce gun violence in this country.”
Vance has been one of Trump’s top supporters in the Senate, Fox News reported.
According to OnTheIssues, Vance criticized President Joe Biden’s efforts to place restrictions on gun owners, accusing the president of try to make it more difficult to buy firearms and ammunition.
“I will fight the gun grabbers, whether they’re federal bureaucrats enacting regulations or multinational companies punishing people for exercising their rights,” Vance said.
The Ohio Capital Journal in 2022 reported Vance in opposition to efforts by Senate Democrats to adopt what the newspaper called “gun reform” legislation.
He is also opposed to red flag laws, believing them to be on a “slippery slope.”
In a report last month, The Guardian quoted Vance criticizing efforts to ban bump stocks.
“What is the real gun violence problem in this country, and are we legislating in a way that solves fake problems? Or solves real problems?” Vance reportedly said.
“My very strong suspicion is that the Schumer legislation is aimed at a PR problem, not something that’s going to meaningfully reduce gun violence in this country,” Vance stated.
According to his website biography, Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during the Iraq war.
He graduated from Ohio State University and Yale Law School, and is the bestselling author of “Hillbilly Elegy,” which subsequently was made into a movie for Netflix.
