When JD Vance was named as Donald Trump’s running mate, many dismissed the 40-year-old Ohio senator and Hillbilly Elegy author as an awkward campaigner who would drag down the ticket. Vance was mocked as “weird,” targeted by rumors, and ridiculed for statements labeling childless women as “cat ladies.” But with Trump’s emphatic election victory, Vance is now poised to become one of the youngest vice presidents in American history—and his critics aren’t laughing anymore.
From Trump Critic to True Believer
Vance’s political transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. He once referred to Trump as “cultural heroin” and “America’s Hitler.” But Vance shed those critiques to become a genuine embodiment of Trumpian economic nationalism and populism aimed at working-class voters.
His selection as VP was championed by the likes of Donald Trump Jr., Tucker Carlson, and tech billionaires Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. Vance proved his MAGA bona fides in a way Trump’s previous VP Mike Pence never did—it’s hard to imagine Vance defying Trump the way Pence did after the 2020 election.
Hard-Right Ideas and Alliances
Vance’s ideology mirrors Trump’s in ways that worry critics. He has close ties to the Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank behind Project 2025—a radical plan to overhaul government and society that Trump disavowed during the campaign but still animates his base.
I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another.
JD Vance, days before Russia’s 2022 invasion
On foreign policy, Vance aligns with Trump’s “America First” approach. He’s expressed apathy toward Ukraine and written the foreword for an upcoming book by the Heritage Foundation president.
Pushing Boundaries to Prove His Worth
Vance showed his political ruthlessness by pushing a debunked rumor about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Ohio. He was unapologetic, saying “If I have to create stories so that the American media pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
This false claim, amplified by Trump in a debate, exemplified how far Vance would go to prove himself. He passed the Trump test by demonstrating the ability to shamelessly promote narratives that stoke fear and anger toward immigrants.
VP Hearbeat Away from the Presidency
Now, Vance stands a heartbeat away from the Oval Office, serving under a president who has twice survived assassination attempts. If tragedy struck, the man who just two years ago was a political newcomer could become commander-in-chief.
Vance may have been underestimated as “weird” and awkward on the stump. But no one is joking now that this 40-year-old “Hillbilly Elegy” author, steeped in far-right ideology and unafraid to push the boundaries of political rhetoric, is a moment away from the presidency. The joke, it seems, was on his detractors all along.
