Trump VP pick J.D. Vance promises space for social conservatives

Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, on Thursday morning assured social conservatives that the Republican Party would always have space for them while he had a voice in the matter. He asked attendees of the Faith and Freedom Coalition breakfast to extend grace to former President Donald Trump. The former president understood that politics was the art of the possible, Vance said, meaning that Trump knew what goals were obtainable practically, given the current political landscape. The Republican Party could only advance socially conservative values one step at a time, he said. He added that Trump had delivered more for social conservatives than any other president in the last four decades.

During his comments to the breakfast, Vance spoke about his Christian faith and described the character Jules in Quentin Tarantino’s R-rated film Pulp Fiction as one of his favorite theologians. After surviving gunfire at point-blank range in the movie, the character says it doesn’t matter whether he was saved miraculously but only that he “felt a touch of God,” Vance said. He went on to say that life is filled with small miracles, and described a moment early Wednesday morning when he was unable to sleep. He said after calling out to Jesus in a brief prayer, sleep came to him.

Earlier this week, Trump picked and the Republican Party nominated Vance to be Trump’s Vice President should he win reelection. During his speech on Wednesday night to the Republican National Convention, Vance accepted the party’s nomination.

Who else spoke at the breakfast? The speakers list included Republicans such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. House Speaker Mike Johnson also addressed the topic of providence in American politics. He compared former President Donald Trump’s narrow graze with death in an alleged assassination attempt over the weekend with George Washington’s graze with death during one frontier battle as an officer in the British colonial army. Both grazes with death took place less than 50 miles apart, Johnson said.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel Darling’s column in WORLD Opinions about how many pro-life advocates have taken issue with recent Republican party positions on abortion.