In 2016, JD Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, said he thought Trump was a "total fraud." During an appearance on the Matt Jones podcast to promote his book, Vance scoffed about Trump's fake concern for the working class: "I don't think he actually cares about folks." His criticism didn't stop there.
As reported in The New Republic, In an interview with NPR in August 2016, Vance declared, "I think I'm going to vote third party because I can't stomach Trump. I think he's noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place." He reiterated similar sentiments to CNN's Jake Tapper, saying, "I'm definitely not going to vote for Trump because I think he's projecting very complex problems onto simple villains."
Vance's disapproval of Trump extended beyond policy disagreements. He expressed concern for vulnerable groups, saying "Trump makes people I care about afraid, immigrants, Muslims, etc. Because of this, I find him reprehensible." In a written piece from 2016, Vance even invoked a moral argument against Trump, asserting, "God wants better of us." His criticism reached its peak when he wondered privately if Trump might be "America's Hitler."
But fast-forward to 2022, and Vance did a complete 180 after winning his Senate race with Trump's backing. He scrubbed his old anti-Trump tweets and started singing Trump's praises. Now he's all, "He was a great president, and I'm working hard to get him a second term."
This flip-flop is pretty common in MAGA land: past criticism gets swept under the rug if you pledge loyalty to Trump. It's a ticket to political power, but it's also a risky game. Vance seems to have forgotten what happened to others who got too close to Trump, like Mike Pence and Rudy Giuliani. They went all-in on Trump and ended up either hunted down for execution or broke and disgraced.
History shows that cozying up to Trump might give you a quick political boost, but it often comes with a hefty price tag later on. Even if he manages not to lost everything, Vance will go down in history books as one of the greatest lickspittles of our time.
Previously:
• Ohio's JD Vance suggested women stay in violent relationships
