In 2016, when then-candidate Donald Trump announced that Mike Pence would be his running mate, the reason was clear. Pence, a former Midwestern governor known for his love of Jesus and the free market, would win the trust of religious voters and traditional conservatives for the unorthodox nominee. The choice was an attempt to solidify support among voters who at the time had not been embraced by the former real estate mogul and reality TV star.
The former president’s choice of Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance in 2024 reflects the sad reality that these considerations no longer matter. Rather than trying to “balance” his vote, Trump doubled down and chose a fire-breathing populist with a clear stance. autocratic tendency, weakness progress economicsand connections with the working class.
Vance rose to prominence in 2016 with the publication of his best-selling memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. He was initially a fierce critic of Trump, saying on Twitter that the then-presidential candidate “scares the people I care about. Immigrants, Muslims, etc. Therefore, I think he should be condemned.” Response enter hollywood In the video, he lamented: “Christian friends, when we apologized for this man, everyone was looking at us.”
But Vance later deleted those tweets and others critical of the 45th president while courting Trump’s support in Ohio’s 2022 Senate primary. He eventually gained recognition that allowed him to safe Republican nomination and subsequent campaign.
Vance is viewed by many as the most likely vice presidential choice, in part because his “America First” economic and foreign policy leanings are seen as appealing to blue-collar voters in swing states that have decided the past few presidential elections. in a postal When The Truth Society announced the selection, Trump made it clear that his running mate would be “very focused on the people he’s fighting for, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota and beyond.” American workers and farmers in the region.”
Notably, there is no mention of religion in the announcement. Eight years ago, Pence was considered a wise choice because of his ability to appease any concerns his fellow evangelical Christians might have about voting for a thrice-married playboy. Today, self-described “evangelicals” have become among Trump’s supporters the most loyal supporter.
Vance is a former U.S. Marine and Yale Law School graduate with a troubling history of illiberal speech. he debate In the Senate campaign, conservatives should “seize the administrative state” and use it for “our own purposes” rather than trying to knock it down. He floated the idea that a Republican president could ignore court rulings he didn’t like. he call Confiscate the assets of nonprofits that promote “woke” ideologies and redistribute them to politically favored groups. with him Tell American Conservative Party In 2021, his voters “hate the right guy.”
When I followed up on this comment at his campaign event, a spokesman reiterate “J.D. Vance firmly believes that the political, financial and Big Tech elites… have nothing but contempt and hatred for us.” But on Saturday, a gunman opened fire on Trump at a rally, killing at least one person. A bystander died, an act Vance blamed on the Democrats’ rhetoric.
“The core premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” he wrote on Twitter. “Such comments directly led to President Trump’s assassination attempt.
