After Saturday’s terrifying assassination attempt, Donald J. Trump still showed up to the Republican National Convention where he announced his new running mate.
J.D. Vance is a Republican Ohio Senator and most likely unknown to most people. The first term politician was once sceptical of Trump but has recently augmented some of his views to stay more in line with Trump’s MAGA platform.
Who Is J.D. Vance?
J.D. Vance is a former U.S. Marine and Yale Law School graduate. He began his professional career in venture capitalism before moving over to politics.
He’s most well-known for his autobiography Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, which focuses on the socioeconomic problems faced in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio. The book has been listed on the Amazon bestsellers since the publication.
Changing His Mind on Trump
Early on in his political career, Vance was an outspoken Trump critic and denounced the actions taken during the January 6 Capitol building riots.
Now, his political agenda aligns very closely with Trump and many think that he was chosen for his popularity as a small town success story who can secure votes in the Rust Belt. As well, his educational merit and his early career ties to Silicon Valley means that he may be popular with voters across the aisle.
Abortion
Although typically outspoken against abortion, Trump has taken a more flippant approach in recent months, now saying that abortion legislation should be left to states rights.
Mr. Vance appears to be a staunch opposer of abortion rights, even in extreme cases. He praised the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe V. Wade when he was running for senate in 2022.
Ukraine
Vance is one of the leading U.S. opponents of support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.
During an interview with Stephen Bannon, he stated, “I think it’s ridiculous that we’re focused on this border in Ukraine. I’ve got to be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other.”
Immigration
Immigration and border security was one of Vance’s top advertisements for his 2022 campaign for the Senate in Ohio.
In an ad written himself, he states, “Joe Biden’s open border is killing Ohioans.“ With more illegal drugs and more Democrat voters pouring into this country.” Along with former President Trump, he calls for a merit based immigration system.
January 6 Riots
Although early in his career he was an outspoken skeptic of the incident, he has recently changed his tune on the matter.
Now, he says that if he had been the Vice President at the time, he would have bowed to Trump’s orders and rejected the electoral votes from several swing states won by Biden in 2020.
Mike Pence
Vance has also openly regarded former Vice President Mike Pence as a coward, who hid in a stairway as members of the January 6 mob rushed into hallways of the Capitol building.
As president of the Senate, Pence had the, technical, ability to block the votes from the electoral college that solidified Biden’s victory. However, doing so would have most likely lead to a stand off with Congress and would have lost in a legal court.
Tariffs
Vance has already called for “broad-based tariffs, especially on goods moving from China,” which is a move that President Biden recently took, appeasing both American manufacturers and Trump supporters.
The new running mate said that his job as an elected official is to protect American jobs and commerce and that he intends to protect the U.S. from all competition.
Climate
Climate and global warming can be a hot-button issue, with many Republican leaders, like Ron DeSantis, ignoring the problem all together and banning the terminology from state legislature.
Vance echoes these statements and thinks that climate change is not a real threat and that he is skeptical of the scientific consensus that warming of the Earth’s atmosphere is caused by human activity. As a staunch supporter of the oil and gas industry, he most likely has no choice but to ignore the issue.
Middle East
As a staunch supporter of Israel throughout the war on Gaza, Vance has defended wartime policies in the face of crowing criticism over the civilian death toll.
A group of Senators proposed a bill providing aid to Ukraine and Israel, Vance declined to sign but suggested sending aid to only Israel.
Criticized Biden for Stopping Weapons Shipment
He recently issued a harsh criticism to President Biden for delaying a shipment of weapons to Israel as tensions grew between the White House and Netanyahu’s government.
Although he acknowledged the high toll of civilian casualties in Gaza, he ultimately thinks it’s on Hamas not Israel, even though the majority of bombings are issued by Netanyahu.
