JD VANCE ACCEPTS REPUBLICAN VP NOMINATION, PLEDGES TO 'PUT AMERICA FIRST'

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Ohio Senator JD Vance, the running mate of former President Donald Trump for the upcoming United States (US) presidential election in November, formally accepted the Republican nomination for vice president on Wednesday, pledging to "put the citizens of America first."

"I stand here humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude to say I officially accept your nomination to be vice president of the United States of America," Vance said during his first address at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported Anadolu Agency (AA).

"Mr President, I will never take for granted the trust you have placed in me. It is an honour to help achieve the extraordinary vision you have for this country. I pledge to every American, regardless of party, that I will give you everything I have," he stated.

Trump announced on Monday that Vance, 39, would be his running mate for the 2024 election, on the first day of the Republican National Convention, where the party formally nominated Trump as its presidential candidate.

A former marine, Vance has positioned himself as a firebrand populist during his approximately three years in the Senate. He has become a staunch supporter of Trump's agenda after initially being a fierce critic of the former president.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU