Could Donald Trump drop JD Vance?: 'Messy beyond belief'

In brief...

• Controversial comments made by JD Vance have emerged, leading to some suggestions that Donald Trump's presidential campaign could be improved with a different Vice President pick.
• Trump's team has denied there is any problem with the VP selection choice.
• The News Agents described any process to replace Vance as "messy" – and time is running out for any ballot changes.

What’s the story?

From ‘childless cat lady’ comments, to suggesting postmenopausal women’s main function is to help raise children, to his links to the team behind Project 2025, JD Vance has faced immense scrutiny – and backlash – since becoming Donald Trump’s Vice President pick for the 2024 election.

There have been suggestions that the negative attention Vance has brought to the Trump campaign could lead to the presidential hopeful switching his VP pick at the last minute.

Vance was selected less than a week before Joe Biden stepped down this summer, leading to a momentous shift in the Democratic Party’s prospects in the election. Kamala Harris now leads polls in key states across the US, since becoming the Dems’ nominee.

It has been reported that Vance has an approval rating in minus figures, when the average for VP candidates since 2000 has been closer to plus 19.

So could Donald Trump, and his team, make a last minute swap for someone else?

What have Trump and his team said?

There has been no suggestion that Trump is planning to replace JD Vance, or any change of heart over the VP pick.

Chris LaCivita, Trump’s campaign co-manager, described reports of regret at selecting Vance as “100 percent not true”, during a recent interview with Fox News, adding: “JD Vance has been fantastic”.

Trump previously defended Vance’s comments about “childless cat ladies” destroying American values, saying he did not place higher values on people with offspring.

Vance’s comments were made in 2020, four years before becoming Trump’s running-mate.

What do The News Agents say?

Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall are on the same page on this one – Vance is going nowhere.

They believe he will remain Trump’s pick for two main reasons. Firstly, the complications it would take to replace him, and second to save face for the Republican campaign.

“The Vice President is the reason they call it a ticket for a presidential election, you're running together, so you are elected together,” says Lewis.

“He has a direct electoral mandate from the electorate, just as the President does.”

Lewis suggests a process of Trump claiming he had lost confidence in Vance, and pushing for Congress to impeach the Ohio senator, but believes this would be an inappropriate use of the constitution.

“He could freeze him out completely, as often vice presidents are, so he wouldn't be any real part of the administration, but he couldn't sack him,” he adds.

Jon describes any change now as “messy beyond belief”.

“It would just give you weeks and weeks of chaos in the Trump camp. You live with what you've chosen. So I think JD Vance is here to stay,” he says.

What else could stop it happening?

Time is not on the Republican’s side, should Trump and his team want any changes made.

Absentee ballots will be mailed in September, with US voting rules meaning that presidential candidates must be submitted between 60 and 75 days before the election – which takes place on 5 November this year – to appear on those.

Vance could be replaced if he makes the choice to pull out, as Democrat Tom Eagleton did in 1972 when running as George McGovern’s VP pick.

Pushing for impeachment would be a lengthy process, needing to pass through the House, and the Senate in order to secure a conviction.

“Practically speaking, as well as politically, it would look pretty bloody stupid,” Lewis concludes.

“Trump said two weeks ago, three weeks ago, this was the guy, and now he would be saying it's not the guy.

“I think practically it might be just about possible, but virtually impossible.”

Listen in full on The News Agents.