The Trump-Vance ticket is set. What do political strategists make of it?
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - With the Republican National Convention in full swing this week, one of the biggest questions was who would join Donald Trump as his vice presidential nominee at the top of the ticket.
That title was awarded to J.D. Vance, a senator from Ohio who has since become a popular figure in Trump's orbit.
The announcement was met with jeers from Democrats, who said Vance would help pass the former president's "extreme agenda."
In response, delegates at the convention in Milwaukee can expect to be treated to a series of billboards claiming Vance is both anti-woman on the issue of abortion and both he and Trump would allegedly take away health care and social security.
But according to John Sellek, a political consultant who has worked with conservatives in the past, Democrats are too preoccupied with Vance.
"Right now, I think they are obsessed with Vance, and they think they are going to be able to use him to make any kind of new tone not count," he said.
Trump has also said he has changed the tone of his Thursday night acceptance speech. Instead of a full-throttled attack on the current president and his political opponent, Joe Biden, he'll be delivering a different kind of address.
But another Michigan political consultant with Democratic roots says if that is the case, Trump will send Vance out to be the bad cop and attack the Biden ticket.
"They're going to make some noises about civility, but I think you're going to see the same old Trump down the stretch, which is why he picked J.D. Vance, he wanted an attack dog," said Adrian Hemond.
Sellek expects Trump knows that.
"But it also means he knows there is somebody he personally likes and trusts to go out and deliver the zinger and the political attacks," he said. "Going forward, it leaves it open for Trump to soften the edges and be the statesman than the attacker and chief."