What to know about JD Vance: From bestselling author to Trump's VP pick

Former President Trump announced his long-awaited selection for vice presidential nominee on Monday during the kickoff of the Republican National Convention, revealing frontrunner Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, as his pick.

"Just overwhelmed with gratitude. What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump," Vance wrote on X shortly after midnight. "He delivered peace and prosperity once, and with your help, he'll do it again. Onward to victory!"

Here is what to know about the Republican nominee for vice president.

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1. JD Vance once opposed Trump

While Vance is one of Trump's most loyal allies now, he was not always so fond of him. Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, he wrote in a text message to his former roommate, explaining that he goes "back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a--hole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler."

He once claimed that Trump is "cultural heroin," writing in an essay, "He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein."

However, Vance has since had a change of heart. He described his transformation on Fox News, remarking, "I was certainly skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016, but President Trump was a great president, and he changed my mind."

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2. JD Vance had a movie made about his biographical book

In 2016, Vance published his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," which quickly became a best-selling book. "Hillbilly Elegy" details his less than glamorous childhood, being raised by his mother and