JD Vance: former marine, senator of Ohio, and Trump’s newest running mate. You maybe wouldn’t have known that about Vance before reading this article (except for the latter statement, which has been making its rounds on the internet), and even with that brief introduction you still might be wondering “Who the heck is JD Vance?”
Let’s begin with the basics, Vance initially captured the spotlight of the venture capitalist world with his Yale Law degree. He painted himself as a humble Appalachian worker, who pulled himself up by the bootstraps, the perfect counterpoint to the poorest in Appalachia. The truth however is that Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, an addict mother and absent father left Vance to essentially fend for himself. Capitalizing on his background, Vance published his first bestseller “ Hillbilly Elegy” in 2016 which reinforced the idea that Vance was just like millions of others in the middle class, hard-working and deserving of the American dream that he lived. He made statements about how the spotted hills of Appalachia- from which he was descended- were home to some of the poorest Americans because they were “reacting to bad circumstances in the worst way possible” and that they were products of “a culture that encourages social decay instead of counteracting it”. Mr Vance painted an honest portrait of the trials, tribulations, and bad decisions of his family members and friends. His book also took a decidedly conservative view – describing them as chronic spendthrifts, dependent on welfare payments and mostly failing to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. This narrative shot him into the right-wing political landscape, initially, as a commentator. This commentating led to Vance’s name being whispered into the political ring as a potential Senate nominee. These musings quickly turned to fruition when Vance decided to run for Senator of Ohio in 2022; His decision to run was based on the opportunistic timing of his biggest rival, Rob Portman, deciding that he was no longer running for re-election.
In 2016 Vance made a series of comments that would distance him from the rest of the Republican party. At this time Vance was a “never-Trumper” and he stoutly opposed Trump in every manner. Calling him “America’s Hitler” and talking about how the 2016 election result was going to have major and harmful consequences for the populace. However, his critiques of Trump landed him in hot water when he wished to expand his platform by running for senator. While he overcame hurdles, his biggest challenge by far was that of rejoining himself with the Trump party values. Apologizing for the comments he made in 2016-2020, he regained the approval of Trump which boosted his popularity among Ohioans and won him the Senate race in 2022. This shift in politics enabled a new era of Vance’s policies; gone was the man who spoke for the American working class and instead stood another pawn in the MAGA movement.
After winning Trump’s approval JD Vance had no further problems discarding his own values and shifting to align with party values, taking a firm stance on key issues. He opposed aid to Ukraine in an op-ed, insisting that Biden should stop funding the war and instead negotiate for peace with Putin. He has withheld federal funding from colleges, and has a stance as a lukewarm pro-choice candidate (believing that it should be up to states- with a national minimum.). Much to Trump’s delight, Mr. Vance insists that the 2020 presidential election was stolen and he has begun sowing seeds of doubt about the upcoming 2024 election as well.
Ultimately, Vance has become a poster child for the MAGA movement. Stoutly supporting Trump in every way possible, he continues to receive wide applause and support after his speech at the RNC. He touts his youth and background as a gem of relatability in the foreign world of politics. While Vance may seem legions better than Trump, he serves as a warning, a wary look into how the Republican party is turning into the Trump party, and how quickly one’s principles can turn on a dime if in disfavor with Trump.