Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio said Wednesday he would be bummed out if former President Donald Trump did not tap him as his running mate. Mr. Vance made the admission during an interview with his wife on Fox News that aired Wednesday. “You know, I’m human, right?” Mr. Vance said. “And so when you know this thing’s a possibility, if it doesn’t happen, there’s certainly going to be a little bit of disappointment.” Thought to be on Mr. Trump’s shortlist of possible vice presidential picks, Mr. Vance also said it would be “fine” if he doesn’t get the job because he is honored to serve in the Senate. The 39-year-old Marine veteran and best-selling author has evolved from a vocal Trump critic to a top Trump surrogate. He has become a regular on the television talk show circuit, where he praised the former president’s record on the economy, immigration and world affairs, and offered insight into what he believes he would bring to the GOP presidential ticket as the No. 2. In the interview, Mr. Vance said he suspects Democrats “fear” him because his blue-collar roots shield him from their nonstop attempts to paint Republicans as hostile toward the working-class and poor Americans. “I think sometimes what Democrats do, they say, ‘Well, he just believes this because he hates poor people, or he believes this because he hates Black people,’ and they really can’t pull that with me because I grew up in a poor family, and I was raised in a working-class community,” Mr. Vance said. “So I do think there’s something just about my biography that makes it a little bit harder for these guys to attack me. And maybe that’s why they fear me.” Ashley Etienne, a former spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris, told CNN this year that Mr. Vance “would pose the greatest threat” to her former boss in a debate. “I mean, he’s an incredible debater. I think he has this quality that makes him seem palpable to that 1 to 2% that actually might vote or that’s undecided, that will actually pay attention to the debates because most people don’t pay attention to the debates,” Ms. Etienne said. “I think he’s just got a quality about him where he’s super smart and sharp and quick-witted.” Mr. Vance made it clear Wednesday that he welcomes the opportunity to debate Ms. Harris, saying Americans respond to elected officials who speak from the heart — not those who rely on hollow talking points. “Politicians are really good at saying things very well, but not actually saying anything at all,” he said. “But that’s the Kamala Harris problem, right? So, she’d go around in circles and … you sort of realize like, wait a second, I just listened to her for 10 minutes and she didn’t say anything.” Mrs. Vance’s wife also offered up some personal insights. “I don’t think people really understand how hard he works and how creative he is,” she said. “Everything he says and does is built on a foundation of so much thought.” Asked whether she is ready for her husband to be Mr. Trump’s vice presidential nominee, Mrs. Vance said, “I guess the way that I put it is I’m not raring to change anything about our lives right now, but I really, you know, I believe in JD and I really love him.”
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