Donald Trump’s vice-presidential pick JD Vance vowed in a primetime speech to fight for working-class Americans, who he argued had been “cast aside and forgotten” by the Democrats. Introducing himself to millions of Americans watching on TV, the Ohio senator highlighted his humble roots in the Midwest as he criticized “career politicians” like President Joe Biden.

During his address at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Vance asserted that Trump was the “last best hope” for Americans. The Trump-Vance ticket will challenge the Democratic incumbents, President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, in November’s election.

In response to Vance’s speech, President Biden’s account on X, formerly Twitter, criticized Vance’s positions on abortion and Ukraine.

Vance, 39, aspires to become one of the youngest vice-presidents in US history. In his speech, he recounted his journey from a challenging childhood in small-town Ohio to the US Marines, Yale Law School, and ultimately the US Senate.

As the author of the best-selling memoir *Hillbilly Elegy*, which details his impoverished family in Appalachian coal country, Vance condemned “America’s ruling class” for harming communities like his hometown through trade agreements and foreign wars.

“From Iraq to Afghanistan, from the financial crisis to the Great Recession, from open borders to stagnating wages, the people who govern this country have failed and failed again,” he stated. “Donald Trump represents America’s last best hope to restore what – if lost – may never be found again.”