‘Exciting’: Pa. delegates, GOP pols react to former Trump critic as VP pick

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Just a few hours after Donald Trump announced his choice of vice president, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance made his way through the crowd at the Republican National Convention to thunderous applause and chants of “J.D.”

Among those showing their support for Vance was Pennsylvania delegate and former U.S. Congressman Fred Keller, who said he thought Vance exemplifies what’s possible in America.

“Here’s a guy that has proven the American dream is possible, and it gives that hope to so many people,” Keller told WHYY News. “It could only happen in America, and I think J.D. Vance will bring that discussion there.

Vance rose to national fame with the publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” about growing up in Ohio amid social isolation, poverty and drug use. He recounts the religious and political changes he witnessed in greater Appalachia.

His well-timed book became a national bestseller, as many Americans bought and read it to understand the rise of Donald Trump’s power and popularity in rural and “Rust Belt” regions often termed “flyover states” by coastal residents.

Keller, who represented Pennsylvania’s 12th U.S. Congressional District from 2019 to 2023, said that he could empathize with Vance, having grown up as “this poor kid in America.”

“My parents never owned their own home,” he said. “We lived in a place that had no running water and electricity for a period of time, and I was [eventually] able to own my own home, have my own business, run a larger business, and have the privilege to represent people in both the Pennsylvania General Assembly and the United States Congress. That’s the American dream.”

Those sentiments have been echoed by Republican officials in the Keystone State such as U.S. Rep. John Joyce, who represents Pennsylvania’s 13th Congressional District.

“It’s clear that Senator Vance understands the issues facing rural Americans, especially the impact that the opioid epidemic has had on our communities,” Dr. Joyce said in a statement. “Republicans are united behind President Trump and Senator Vance, and together we will work to secure our border, stop runaway spending, and return to American energy dominance.

Vance wasn’t always an obvious running mate for Trump or even a trustworthy ally, having once referred to the then-candidate as “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.”

However, Vance changed his perspective after he was elected to the Senate in 2022, having since become one of the staunchest supporters of the “Make America Great Again” agenda.

Vance’s earlier criticisms don’t bother Pennsylvania delegate Jeff Bartos, who said he first came across Vance after reading “Hillbilly Elegy” shortly after it came out in 2016.

“I’m super excited,” he said. “I had a chance to meet Sen. Vance for the first time in December, and I met him again a couple of months ago in Harrisburg and we had a really good and wide-ranging conversation. He is amazing.”

In response to his pick as VP, Democrats have argued that Vance has supported a national abortion ban at 15 weeks and questioned the validity of the 2020 election.