The pivot of J.D. Vance from Trump critic to Trump advocate is one shared by many Republicans who have come around to supporting the former president despite having their reservations when he came
With the selection of Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as Donald Trump’s choice to be his vice presidential running mate, it is important to examine the remarkable turnaround of the man who once suggested Trump could be America’s Adolf Hitler and that Trump was an „idiot.“
The choice is significant for a number of reasons. The recent assassination attempt on Trump’s life vividly shows just how quickly a vice president could be called into action. Moreover, at 78, Trump would surpass President Joe Biden as the oldest president ever elected. Finally, if Trump does win in November, he can only serve one term, making Vance his heir apparent and the favorite to be the Republican nominee in 2028. Vance is just 39 years old, giving him a potentially long and impactful political career in the national spotlight.
Given the importance of this selection, one wonders how Vance gained favor with Donald Trump given his previous harsh criticism of him. In many ways, the selection of Vance crystallizes the Republican Party’s slow embrace of Trump and the MAGA movement. Trump was not the darling of the party in 2016 and had many detractors from within, throughout his presidency. Many „Never Trump“ Republicans publicly excoriated the president and actively worked against him.
Rather than deny his criticisms of Trump, Vance flatly stated that he was wrong about him. Over the past few years, Vance has fully embraced Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. For instance, Vance was among those who showed up to Trump’s Manhattan felony trial lambasting it as „corrupt“, „partisan“, and a „miscarriage of justice.
