Bold but Risky: Trump’s Decision

Congratulations to Sen. J.D. Vance for winning “The Apprentice” special to become GOP nominee Donald Trump’s pick for vice president.

We respect Trump’s choice, for all the doubts we expressed in our recent kibitzing, and wish the ticket every success in the campaign ahead.

Trump’s reasons point to a calculation based on November’s electoral battlegrounds: “J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond.”

In the past, Trump has noted (correctly) that veep picks rarely make a big difference on Election Day.

But he’s also right that the Rust Belt, from Pennsylvania to Minnesota, now holds the central swing states. The “Hillbilly Elegy” author has championed the concerns of voters in those regions.

Putting your people first, not old-school Republican thinking, has been a Trump priority ever since he rode down that escalator.

Yes, Vance was a high-profile Trump-doubter back in 2016, but he also explained why he changed: Trump’s presidency was a clear success, especially for the working class. Case closed.

Traditionally, the veep candidate does the flame-throwing. If Trump is going to ease up his rhetoric, Vance can fill in. Of the three shortlisted VP candidates, he is the most closely matched to carry Trump’s ideological torch. 

But he is also probably the riskiest candidate too, given the previous doubts we expressed:

He is a first-time senator and his relative youth and inexperience may be exposed in the cauldron of a presidential campaign and then the heavy burden that governing brings. 

He and those around him may not be able to fend off the temptation to start a 2028 bid too early, potentially undermining Trump’s agenda and authority — not to mention the former president’s ego. 

Also of great concern, Vance has fallen into the arms of the isolationist movement within the modern GOP. 

Once in office and with the benefit of classified briefings, we hope he will reconsider his foreign-policy positions, especially on Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Vance has not just a compelling life story, but ample proof of grit — from his “hillbilly” roots to Yale Law, to Silicon Valley, a widely praised bestseller and the Senate. Not to mention Iraq service as a Marine.

In a deeply divided nation, the prez race could still be close — even after the past few history-making weeks that have seen Democrat resolve dissolve and Republicans unite.

Trump picked a running mate who he believes won’t falter, and can be an asset all through his second term. We wish them the best.

It’ll be a tough team for Joe and Kamala (or whoever and whoever) to beat.