Former US President Donald Trump selected JD Vance, the Ohio senator and prominent figure in the populist right movement, as his running mate for the upcoming presidential race.
Vance, once a vocal critic of Trump during the 2016 campaign, has undergone a remarkable transformation into a staunch ally and advocate for Trump’s agenda. Known for his bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” Vance initially characterized Trump as a “terrible candidate” and expressed skepticism about his leadership.
However, in recent years, Vance has aligned closely with Trump’s policies, embracing Trumpism and supporting controversial positions such as questioning the 2020 election results and advocating for a purge of federal civil servants if Trump were to be re-elected. His evolution into a Maga (Make America Great Again) power figure has solidified his standing among conservative circles.
Who is JD Vance Donald Trump‘s vice president nominee?
Vance’s journey to Trump’s side included a competitive Senate campaign where he positioned himself as a Trump-style right-wing populist, drawing support from influential backers like tech billionaire Peter Thiel.
Trump’s endorsement played a pivotal role in Vance’s successful bid for the Senate seat from Ohio, further cementing his influence within the Maga movement.
As a senator, Vance has continued to champion populist causes, questioning U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts and introducing legislation to make English the official language of the United States in 2023.
The announcement of Vance as Trump’s running mate sets the stage for a contentious and closely watched presidential race, highlighting the shifting alliances and dynamics within the Republican Party as it prepares to challenge the incumbent Democratic administration.
Symbiotic relationship between Vance and Trump
Vance’s book — subtitled “A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” — was embraced for its insights into Trump’s appeal in middle America, where manufacturing job losses and the opioid crisis had driven many families like his into poverty, abuse and addiction.
The tale of Vance’s hardscrabble childhood in Middletown, Ohio, where he was born, and his familial eastern Kentucky hills region also captivated Hollywood. Ron Howard made it into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams as Vance’s mother and Glenn Close as his beloved “Mamaw.”
With his grandmother’s encouragement, Vance went on to serve in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, and to graduate from Ohio State University and Yale Law School. From there, he joined a Silicon Valley investment firm before returning to Ohio to launch a nonprofit that he said would aim to develop opioid addiction treatments that might be “scaled nationally.”
Ultimately, Ohio Renewal failed at that mission and was shuttered. During the 2022 campaign, then-U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, his Democratic rival, charged that the charity was little more than a front for Vance’s political ambitions. Ryan pointed to reports that the organization made payments to a Vance political adviser and conducted public opinion polling, even as its actual efforts to address addiction largely floundered. Vance denied the characterization.
As a senator, Vance has shown some willingness to work across the aisle. He and Ohio’s senior senator, Democrat Sherrod Brown, have teamed up on a number of issues important to the state, including fighting for funding for a $20 billion chip facility Intel is building in central Ohio and introducing rail safety legislation in response to the fiery derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
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