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J.D. Vance Has a New Secret Service Codename

The moniker is apparently a nod to his roots in Ohio and Kentucky.

Donald Trump’s running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, reportedly has a new Secret Service codename: Bobcat. A longtime friend of the vice presidential candidate told The Daily Mail that the moniker is a nod to his roots in Ohio and Kentucky—the Bobcats serve as mascots for both Ohio University and the high school sports teams in Jackson, Kentucky, where Vance’s family is from. Vance, like all Secret Service protectees, got to choose the name from a list given to him by the agency. Mike Pence, Trump’s vice president and running mate in both 2016 and 2020, chose the name “Hoosier” to honor his own Indiana roots—while vice president Kamala Harris, the presumptive nominee, goes by “Pioneer.” After being chosen by Trump, Vance was also given his own private campaign plane, the Mail reports. The pair appeared at their first joint rally together over the weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Vance wasted no time attacking Harris, who he said had done nothing with her life “other than collect a check from her political offices?”