Trump critic turned ally JD Vance elected vice president, offering glimpse at GOP’s potential future | CNN Politics

Only two years after securing his initial political position, Ohio Senator JD Vance is on track to assume the role of vice president. This marks the rise of a new generation of leaders and provides a possible preview of what the Republican Party might look like once President-elect Donald Trump concludes his second term.

At 40 years old, Vance is the first millennial to be nominated on a major party's presidential ticket and is set to be the third-youngest vice president in the history of the United States.

He was once a critic of Trump, but his political journey, which led him to become the vice-presidential candidate for the president-elect, illustrates how Trump has dominated the Republican Party and transformed it to reflect his own vision.

Growing up in southeastern Ohio with his grandparents due to his mother's struggles with drug addiction, Vance enlisted in the Marine Corps after finishing high school. He then went on to study at Ohio State University and Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha Vance, and eventually became a venture capitalist.

Vance's memoir from 2016, titled "Hillbilly Elegy," catapulted him into the spotlight during a period when the country was trying to make sense of Trump's allure in the Rust Belt, where he won the presidency that same year. Initially, as Vance began to make a name for himself as a political commentator, he was a vocal critic of Trump.

In private messages, Vance questioned whether Trump could be seen as "America’s Hitler" before Trump’s first election. In 2017, he labeled the then-president a “moral disaster.” Publicly, he also stated that Trump was a “complete fraud” who showed no concern for everyday citizens and described him as “reprehensible.”

He had a shift in his perspective by 2020, wholeheartedly supporting Trump. After meeting Trump in person at Mar-a-Lago and making appearances on Fox News, he secured the former president's backing during the final stages of a tough Republican primary for Ohio's Senate seat in 2022. In his initial bid for public office, Vance emerged victorious in that election.

Vance demonstrated his loyalty by joining other possible candidates for the vice presidency and Republican lawmakers in supporting Trump at a New York courthouse while he faced his criminal hush money trial earlier this year.

He has also stated that he sees the constitutional boundaries regarding the vice president's responsibilities in certifying election results differently than former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence faced criticism from Trump in January 2021 when he chose not to meddle in the process of confirming Joe Biden's electoral votes.

In Congress, Vance has actively spoken out against foreign assistance, resisting bills that propose increasing US aid to Ukraine during its conflict with Russia.

He has fully adopted conservative cultural battles, backing laws aimed at restricting gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth and challenging diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. At the same time, he has also taken on populist viewpoints, endorsing tariffs, standing against corporate mergers, and collaborating with Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts.

Trump aimed to keep excitement alive as he looked for a vice-presidential candidate, postponing his decision until following the assassination attempt on him in Butler, Pennsylvania, and coinciding with the opening day of the Republican National Convention.

The pair met at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club on the very day he was shot in the ear. Just two days after that, Trump reached out to Vance to invite him to join the ticket. He shared the news about his selection on Truth Social just 20 minutes later.

Before Trump made his choice, supporters of the Ohio senator, such as Donald Trump Jr. and conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, claimed that Vance had the closest ties to Trump compared to other finalists, which included Florida Senator Marco Rubio and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. According to several insiders, they believed Vance would be the most loyal pick.

They argued that Vance has the potential to connect with working-class voters, who are crucial for securing victory in the important swing states this November, especially considering his background growing up in a struggling Rust Belt community in Ohio. Additionally, they highlighted his wife, Usha Vance, who is the daughter of Indian immigrants, as someone who might resonate well with minority voters.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine praised Trump's choice of Vance during the convention, calling it “a fantastic day for Ohio.”

"He's in line with Trump's message to blue-collar workers," DeWine remarked, noting that he believed it was smart for Trump to choose a younger candidate. "Additionally, it's important to have someone who shares his goal of broadening the reach of the Republican Party."

After Vance was chosen, critics began digging through years of podcasts and interviews he had done. One notable instance was a 2021 podcast where he referred to the Democratic Party as being run by "childless cat ladies," calling out figures like Vice President Kamala Harris. This comment sparked significant controversy when it was highlighted again.

Democrats highlighted Vance's remarks as proof that the GOP is unfriendly towards women. This campaign also reflected a significant divide between men and women voters, partly because of Trump's nomination of conservative Supreme Court justices who later reversed the national abortion rights established by Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Vance dedicated several weeks to clarifying that his comments were not meant to attack those without children, especially those who desire to have kids but cannot. Instead, he aimed to criticize the Democratic Party for being "anti-family."

Weeks later, he reiterated misleading statements on social media about Haitian immigrants allegedly eating pets in Springfield, Ohio. He justified his actions, even though there was no proof to back them up, by saying he wanted to highlight the immigration issue.

In September, Vance mentioned to CNN’s Dana Bash, “If I need to come up with compelling stories to ensure that the American media recognizes and addresses the struggles of the American public, then that’s exactly what I will do.”