When J.D. Vance Was Suddenly Apologetic and Backtracked About Slamming Trump Back in 2016

J.D. Vance, the "Hillbilly Elegy" author and Ohio Republican Senator, has come a long way since his days of criticizing Donald Trump. His journey from Trump detractor to ardent supporter culminated in his selection as Trump's running mate for the 2024 presidential election. This change got people talking about political opportunism. Back in 2016, Vance did not hold back about Trump. He called him "reprehensible" and "noxious" in tweets that he has since deleted.

Privately, he even drew comparisons between Trump and Hitler. "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical asshole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler," Vance wrote to an associate on Facebook in 2016, as per Reuters. Fast forward to 2022, and Vance's tune changed dramatically. During his Senate campaign, he sought Trump's endorsement, and it was super important for his primary victory. Vance's change of heart was clear in what he said publicly. He asked viewers, "not to judge me by based on what I said in 2016, because I've been very open that I did say those critical things and I regret them, and I regret being wrong about the guy," as per Mediaite. 

Vance's explanation for his change of heart has been a gradual realization rather than a sudden epiphany. He said, "I allowed myself to focus so much on the stylistic element of Trump that I completely ignored the way in which he substantively was offering something very different on foreign policy, on trade, on immigration." Critics think Vance's change is all about politics. David Niven, a politics professor at the University of Cincinnati, said, "What you see is some really profound opportunism."

However, Trump's inner circle sees Vance's conversion as genuine. Tucker Carlson, a conservative commentator and Vance supporter, said, "He understands what Trump is running on and, unlike the rest of the Republican Party in Washington, agrees with it." Vance is against U.S. aid to Ukraine, which has made Trump's supporters really like him. However, some of his Senate colleagues were not happy about it. He's also critical of corporate America and supports tariffs and this thinking is what makes him a voice for the new Republican Party, which cares more about working-class interests than big business.

Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, whom Vance considers a mentor, defended the transformation: "He saw the successes that President Trump as president brought to the country." Barrasso added, "I think that in terms of bringing to the ticket, he can articulate the pain that American families are feeling better than almost anybody else." Vance and Trump got close mainly during the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Vance showed his loyalty by endorsing Trump early in January 2023. They also connected more during a big visit to East Palestine, Ohio, after a bad train derailment in February 2023.