How J. D. Vance Went From “Never-Trump” To Running For Vice President

(PatriotPostNews.com) — GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump recently announced his vice-presidential running mate, who has a history of being a critic of the former president.

Sen. J.D. Vance from Ohio, who is notably younger than everyone else on the ticket at age 40, was selected by Trump earlier this week. The first-term lawmaker has gained popularity among conservatives for his solidarity with working class Americans, knowledge of foreign policy, and military experience.

Although he was among the first to endorse the controversial Republican for president in the 2024 campaign season, Vance was not always a Trump supporter. During his first run for office in 2016, the Ohio Senator joined the “Never Trump” coalition. The same year he won the election, Vance became nationally famous with his memoir titled “Hillbilly Elegy,” in which he acknowledged the challenges and values of Appalachian America.

While making a name for himself as a best-selling author, Vance continued to criticize Trump. According to a group of former Trump supporters who do not endorse him for a second term, Vance has a track record of making very blunt, anti-Trump statements. These include describing the former president as a “terrible candidate” who could be viewed as “America’s Hitler” and saying that he “never liked” Trump.

The two politicians did not meet in the middle until Vance ran for Senate in 2022. In April of that year, Trump endorsed Vance as the “most qualified” candidate in the race who was “ready to win.” The former president acknowledged Vance’s previous criticism of him, saying that the then candidate “gets it now.”

After he was nominated for vice president, Vance also addressed his past negative view of Trump, saying he was “a great president” who “changed my mind.” The Ohio lawmaker added that Trump had a similar effect on many citizens because he provided “peace and prosperity.”

Vance also said that he had “bought into” mainstream media’s “lies and distortions” about Trump, believing that he was “a terrible threat” to American democracy. Now he describes that narrative as “a joke,” adding that he is admitting his “mistake” about Trump and that he was “wrong about him.”