Elections

Republicans vow to "make America safe again," but the statistics contradict their claims of growing crime. And Democrats who want to keep President Joe Biden off the ballot are opposing an obscure party rule.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Ravenna Koenig, Alfredo Carbajal, Roberta Rampton, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Mansee Khurana. We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

When President Biden heard that Donald Trump had picked J.D. Vance to be his running mate, he called the Ohio senator "a clone" of Trump. But when Vance first gained national attention, he was one of Trump's loudest critics.

Vance first drew the national spotlight in 2016 with the publication of his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." The book served as a biography of his upbringing in America's Rust Belt and social commentary on the white working class at a time when many were trying to understand those voting for Donald Trump.

On the press tour for that book Vance had a lot of negative things to say about Donald Trump. He said Trump was unfit for the nation's highest office, and in unearthed private messages, he compared Trump to Adolf Hitler.

J.D Vance went from New York Times bestselling author, to state senator, to Vice Presidential candidate. That political journey has brought him closer and closer to a presidential candidate he once professed to despise.

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Donald Trump has picked Senator J.D. Vance as his vice presidential nominee. The U.S. Secret Service is in crisis following the attempted assassination of Trump. And President Joe Biden is shifting his campaign.

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Today's episode of Up First was edited by Megan Pratz, Roberta Rampton, Kelsey Snell, Olivia Hampton and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Ben Abrams and Mansee Khurana. We get engineering support from Arthur Laurent. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.

Now officially the Republican nominee for president in 2024, former President Trump has chosen Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance to be his running mate. Vance has been in the Senate just two years.