Following reports that Donald Trump may have regrets picking Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said that the former president may replace him within 10 days. Reports have emerged that Trump, the GOP presidential nominee, may regret picking Vance as his vice presidential candidate amid President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president in this year’s election. In addition, speculation has continued to grow as the senator has been met with backlash and bad press amid resurfaced remarks in which he said the United States is run by “childless cat ladies” during an interview with Fox News in 2021.
However, those reports have continued to be denied by Trump’s campaign and Trump himself. Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, denied the reports in a statement to Newsweek, stating that President Trump is thrilled with the choice he made with Senator Vance. Schumer spoke on Sunday about the recent addition of Vance as Trump’s running mate, criticizing the choice and suggesting that Trump may be regretting his decision. Schumer expressed concerns that Vance’s controversies and negative press may weigh down the campaign.
According to political science professor Mitchell Brown, if Trump wanted to replace Vance, he could do so before the deadline for ballot filing in each state. However, replacing a running mate may not be a simple process, as the Republican National Committee’s rules adopted in 2020 dictate how vacancies can be filled. Brown raised concerns about the stability, time, and effort required to gear up a new campaign with a different vice presidential candidate. Vance’s net-negative favorable rating after the Republican National Convention in July further fuels speculation about his viability as a running mate.
Vance’s unfavorable rating after the convention was the first of its kind for a non-incumbent vice presidential nominee since 1980. This historical trend signals potential challenges for the Trump campaign moving forward with Vance as the running mate. The ongoing speculation about a possible replacement for Vance comes at a critical time in the election cycle, with the Ohio ballot deadline approaching and Trump facing decisions about the future of his campaign. Amid criticism and doubts about Vance’s suitability as a vice presidential candidate, the Trump campaign continues to defend the choice and express confidence in Vance’s ability to help win back the White House.
