Trump names J.D. Vance as VP pick, a former critic turned ally

Trump revealed his choice on Monday, stating that the vice-presidential candidate will be J.D. Vance, a Senator from Ohio. However, Vance is not just a senator, reports the portal cincinnati.com. The politician is also an investor and a bestselling author. Moreover, he has accumulated a substantial fortune.

According to information from "Celebrity Net Worth," which cites his financial statement, J.D. Vance's fortune is estimated at around $5 million.

Among other things, Vance owns Walmart shares estimated at around $100,000. But that’s not all. The potential vice-president also owns bitcoins valued at $250,000. Additionally, he owns assets in Goldman Sachs and shares in the QQQ Exchange Traded Fund, valued at another $2 million.

The total value of all of Vance's investments is estimated to be around $5.6 million. The portal adds that the Republican not only receives a senator's salary but also royalties from his autobiography "Hillbilly Elegy." In 2021, he earned $475,000. It's worth noting that the book was adapted into a Netflix film in 2020.

As a senator, J.D. Vance earns an annual salary of $174,000, which translates to a monthly salary of $14,500. If Donald Trump wins and Vance becomes vice president, his monthly salary will jump to $19,500.

Vance entered the political scene in 2020. From the beginning, he was mentioned as one of the favourites among potential vice-presidential candidates, although before the 2016 election, he sharply criticized Trump, claiming he could become "America's Hitler."

Vance, who was previously a financier, is currently one of the former president's most ardent supporters and a leader of the party's populist wing. Since taking the Senate seat, he has also become one of the loudest opponents of aid to Ukraine, stating during one interview that he "doesn't care" what happens to Kyiv. On his way to the presidency, the senator defeated representatives of the party's traditional wing, including Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott and Governor Doug Burgum. Vance was reportedly supported by, among others, the president's son, Donald Jr.

Trump's choice was criticized by President Biden's campaign team, presenting Vance as an extremist who will seek to completely strip women of the right to abortion. Democrats recalled that Vance explained several years ago that he would not have certified the results of the 2020 election.

The extreme wing of the Republicans, after the previous presidential election, spread information about the falsification of results, which gave Joe Biden the victory. This led to the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. In August last year, a grand jury in Washington indicted Trump on four charges, accusing him of illegal actions to overturn the result of the election he lost.