Some House Republicans slam Vance as Trump’s VP pick: ‘The worst choice’

A number of House Republicans are privately bashing former President Trump’s selection of Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate, warning that the pick will not help — and could hurt — the party’s chances of winning in November.

The Republicans — speaking to The Hill on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive topic — raised concerns about Vance’s foreign policy positions, lack of experience and inability to expand the Republican coalition beyond Trump’s base.

There are, to be sure, plenty of Vance supporters in the House GOP conference, particularly hardline conservatives — including those in the House Freedom Caucus — who favor the populist, America First perspective that the vice presidential nominee espouses. And the Trump campaign is vigorously defending the pick.

But Republicans who spoke to The Hill — including veteran lawmakers, moderates and Reagan-styled conservatives who support a muscular foreign policy — said a much larger number of their colleagues harbor doubts about Vance.