JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
Former President Donald Trump has named Ohio Senator J. D. Vance as his running mate. The news comes on the first day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee and as Trump looks to cement a lasting legacy within the party. NPR's Stephen Fowler is at the convention and joins us now. Hey, Stephen.
STEPHEN FOWLER, BYLINE: Hey, there.
SUMMERS: So Republicans have officially picked Donald Trump as their presidential nominee and J. D. Vance as the vice presidential nominee. Tell us just what do we know about Vance?
FOWLER: Well, Juana, Trump spilled the beans a little early today on his Truth Social website after reports trickled in one by one about vice presidential contenders that were not picked. Vance was officially nominated by acclamation after an introductory speech by Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted.
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JON HUSTED: J. D. is a living embodiment of the American dream. He came from humble beginnings, and even as his life took him to places he might have never imagined, he never forgot where he came from. Ohio values are in his blood.
FOWLER: Vance served in the Marines, worked as an investment banker and rose to national prominence in 2016 with a much-read and much-criticized memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy." It detailed his Ohio, white, working-class upbringing and portrayed a Rust Belt hollowed out by addiction and poverty and despair. Vance was also someone who was critical of Donald Trump, even calling him, quote, "America's Hitler" in messages with his law school roommate at the time. But in Trump's world, it's not always about what you said then, it's what you do now. And Vance has been a vocal defender of Trump in Congress, especially during the New York criminal trial.
SUMMERS: Stephen, what does Trump's pick of Vance tell us about the state of this presidential race and, more broadly, the state of today's Republican Party?
FOWLER: Well, it's a doubling down on Trump's agenda and populist message. I mean, think about it. If Trump's the founder of the party's America First agenda that revels in attacking Democrats and the federal government, then Vance's selection has made him the heir apparent for the MAGA movement for the future. The pick is all about cementing Trump's legacy and remaking the Republican Party for years and years to come. I mean, Vance's selection doesn't explicitly widen Trump's appeal to a broader range of voters, but it does signal a full steam ahead support for the former president's dire vision of an America under attack and an America that's unlikely to exist if he doesn't win this November. Just after the announcement, reporters talked to Kevin Roberts, the president of conservative think tank Heritage Foundation, who's celebrating the pick.
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KEVIN ROBERTS: In terms of policy, he understands the moment we're in in this country, which is that we have a limited amount of time to implement great policy on behalf of forgotten Americans, someone J. D. Vance personifies.
SUMMERS: It's been, Stephen, less than 48 hours since someone tried to assassinate former President Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The convention so far has gone on as planned. I'm curious - what is the mood heading into this week for Republicans?
FOWLER: Well, the presidential conventions are always a big rally moment for party unity, but this is an entirely new level after that assassination attempt. Trump arrived on Sunday instead of waiting until later in the week. His campaign says that his acceptance speech is being rewritten to focus less on attacks on Democrats and Joe Biden and more about unity. And that said, there are some that might not stick to that script this week, including Vance, who blamed Biden and his rhetoric for that shooting attempt. We haven't heard from him yet today. His speech will be later in the week.
SUMMERS: Right. And, Stephen, you're there in Milwaukee. Tell us - what's the scene like in the convention hall?
FOWLER: Well, the mood here in Milwaukee can be described as both defiant and optimistic, especially now with this vice presidential pick. Vance's selection, Trump's iconic response after being shot and his lead in many of the polls heading into this week have supporters energized. In fact, some people in the official convention photo had their fists raised like Trump did before he was whisked away after being shot, and delegates on the floor have been chanting this during breaks in the action.
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UNIDENTIFIED DELEGATES: (Chanting) Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight.
FOWLER: Basically, it's Trump's Republican Party, and everyone's living in it.
SUMMERS: That's NPR's Stephen Fowler at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Thank you.
FOWLER: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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