MILWAUKEE — Former President Donald Trump on Monday tapped Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate, ending months of speculation over who the presumptive Republican nominee believed would best boost his chances of returning to the White House this fall.

“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social.

The highly anticipated announcement came two days after Mr. Trump survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania rally, and hours after a federal judge dismissed the classified documents criminal case against Mr. Trump.

The historic series of events has reshuffled the presidential race over 48 hours.

SEE ALSO: Trump formally clinches Republican presidential nomination at convention

The decision to tap Mr. Vance, 39, cements the party’s ticket ahead of Mr. Trump’s coronation here on Thursday while Democrats struggle to come to grips with whether they would be better off replacing President Biden as their standard bearer.

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.

• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.