WASHINGTON - Former US President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, announced on Monday via his social media platform Truth Social that he has chosen Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate, ending months of speculation on his vice president pick.

"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," Trump made the announcement in a post, as the Republican National Committee kicks off its convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Vance, who was elected to the US Senate in 2022 and sworn into office in January 2023, was a fierce Trump critic in 2016 but has since become an ally of the former president.

Earlier in the day, Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, the other two finalists for the job, were both told that they were not the pick.