UPDATE - Trump announces Ohio Senator JD Vance will be his VP nominee

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Ex-US President Donald Trump announced Monday that Ohio Senator JD Vance will be his 2024 running mate.

"After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio," Trump said on his proprietary Truth Social website.

The announcement comes on the first day of the Republican National Convention when the party formally nominated Trump as its presidential nominee ahead of November's national election.

A former marine, Vance, 39, has staked out his position as a firebrand populist during his roughly three years in the Senate. Vance has become a staunch supporter of Trump's agenda, after initially being a fierce critic of the former president.

During his time in office, Vance has vocally opposed abortion rights, and has been an unwavering supporter of Israel prior to and during its ongoing war on the besieged Gaza Strip.

Vance is a graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, and went on to become a Silicon Valley venture capitalist after leaving the military. His memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, went on to become a national best-seller, and was later turned into a film adaptation that was released on Netflix.

He returned to Ohio in 2017.

US President Joe Biden's re-election campaign quickly came out against Trump's decision, saying the Ohio senator "is someone who supports banning abortion nationwide while criticizing exceptions for rape and incest survivors; railed against the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for millions with preexisting conditions; and has admitted he wouldn’t have certified the free and fair election in 2020."

“Billionaires and corporations are literally rooting for J.D. Vance: they know he and Trump will cut their taxes and send prices skyrocketing for everyone else," it added.