Vance sidesteps question on making Trump’s VP short list

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) sidestepped a question Sunday on whether he would be interested in serving as vice president to former President Trump if he is elected to the White House next year.

CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Vance on “State of the Union” about an Axios report last week that listed the Ohio Republican as being on the short list for Trump’s vice president. Vance did not say whether he would take the job if offered it, but he said he would help the former president as much as he could.

“Look, I was elected to be a senator for the people of Ohio,” he said. “I think that’s the way that I’m most effective. But I’m going to help Trump however I can, because I think he was a good president. I think the American people will benefit from having him [as] president again.”

Vance has been a staunch ally of Trump, who previously endorsed him in his 2022 Senate bid. The Ohio Senator announced his support for the former president’s presidential run back in January, saying that his “policies were incredibly good for this country, and he’s very popular among Republican voters.”

He also said that he does not believe Trump would “abuse his power” if reelected to the White House.

“The idea that Trump is going to be radically different than what he was four years ago is just preposterous,” he said. “He was an effective, successful president. I think he will be an effective, successful president again. That’s why I have endorsed him.”

“And I think this desire to make the election all about the past is indicative of the fact that Democrats don’t have much to run on, and I think Republicans do,” he added.