Trump Chooses Sen. JD Vance for His Veep Pick

To say that it has been a crazy few days on the campaign trail is an understatement.

Just two days after an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee made a surprise appearance at the first night of the Republican National Convention (RNC) on Monday in Milwaukee just hours after selecting his choice for running mate.

Here are the latest political headlines making the rounds to start the week.

Trump Taps Sen. JD Vance as Running Mate

Trump waited until the eleventh hour to select his running mate for the 2024 presidential election. Just hours into the start of the RNC, Trump announced that he was choosing SEn. JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate.

The 39-year-old Republican senator from Ohio appeared on the convention floor to mingle with delegates shortly after the announcement.

Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 to represent the state of Ohio. Prior to that election, Vance was best known for penning the best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," documenting his life growing up in Appalachia.

Before being endorsed by Trump in 2022, Vance was on record as a "Never Trumper," being vocal about his opposition to Trump.

Speculation had been swirling in recent days as Trump narrowed down his running mate choices. The other two finalists for the nod were Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum. Those close to Trump report that Vance won the former president's support because of his recent loyalty to the campaign.

In addition to being a best-selling author, Vance was also a U.S. Marine and a graduate of Yale Law School. Vance has made a name for himself in the Senate as a loud voice opposing foreign aid to Ukraine under his brand of populist politics.

Vance's wife Usha is a fellow Yale Law School alum, distinguished for clerking for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh during this time as a federal appellate judge. The couple have three young children together.

Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly called Vance and left him a voicemail congratulating him on the nomination. President Joe Biden reacted to the news by telling the media that Vance was just a "clone" of Trump.

The Biden campaign confirmed that Harris is ready to face off against Vance in a vice presidential candidate debate.

Trump Makes Surprise Appearance at Opening Night of the RNC

Trump officially received enough delegates to win the Republican presidential nomination Monday afternoon at the RNC. Fittingly, the delegates from Florida secured the nomination for Trump with his son Eric Trump formally awarding the Sunshine State to his father.

The former president himself made an unexpected appearance at the RNC on Monday evening, joining his family and Vance in the VIP box.

Trump was spotted by television cameras backstage wearing a white bandage over his injured ear. He was introduced and appeared in front of the audience as country music singer Lee Greenwood sang "God Bless the USA."

The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting “fight” in reference to the word that Trump shouted seconds after the assassination attempt as he was being rushed off of the stage by the Secret Service.

Monday's RNC theme was "Make America Wealthy Again," focusing on economic policies.

Speakers included Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Alabama Sen. Katie Britt.

In addition to the political faces, media personality and influencer Amber Rose also addressed the delegation.

Looking ahead to the rest of the week, Tuesday will focus on crime and the border while Wednesday's theme is slated to discuss America's foreign policy. The convention will wrap up on Thursday with the theme of Trump ushering in a "new golden age for America" as he takes to the stage and formally accepts the GOP's nomination.

Latest on Attempted Assassination on Trump

Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson confirmed on Monday that the bullet shot at Trump on Saturday took off a small portion of the top of his right ear.

Also on Monday, the FBI said that it was going through the phone of Trump rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. The agency also said that investigators have conducted almost 100 interviews of witnesses and law enforcement personnel in order to glean more information about the incident.

Shortly after the assassination attempt, law enforcement officials said that they believe that Crooks acted alone. They have yet to release a motive for the shooting.

It was also recently revealed that Crooks' vehicle was located on the Butler Farm Show Grounds with possible explosives in the trunk. Investigators found a transmitter on the deceased shooter's body, leading them to hypothesize that he could have been connected to a potential explosive device in his vehicle.

Questions are swirling about the lapse in security at the rally venue. Pennsylvania State Police said that they were not in charge of securing the area where the sniper was perched on top of a building.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said on Monday that the agency has strengthened its security measures for the RNC in light of Saturday's attempted assassination.

Federal Judge Dismisses Charges Against Trump  

In another significant development on Monday, a federal judge dismissed the pending classified documents case against Trump. The surprise dismissal means that Trump is no longer facing what was the biggest legal challenge in his path.

District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case in a 93-page ruling, stating that the U.S. Justice Department was acting in violation of the Constitution with its appointment of special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump had already pleaded not guilty to the charge of improperly taking classified information from the White House. He was also accused of preventing the federal government from taking back the documents. The Justice Department announced on Monday evening that it will appeal Cannon's ruling.

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