In 2016, JD Vance was a Never Trump conservative. He had published “Hillbilly Elegy,” a memoir about Appalachian poverty that made him a media darling. Privately, he was blunt about Trump. In text messages later obtained by media outlets, Vance wrote that Trump was “America’s Hitler” and “cultural heroin.” He said he was “a moral disaster” and “reprehensible.” In a 2016 interview, he said: “I’m a Never Trump guy. I never liked him.”
The Conversion
Between 2016 and 2021, Vance underwent a complete political transformation. The catalyst was Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech investor, who became Vance’s patron and invested heavily in his political career. In 2021, Vance announced he was running for the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by Rob Portman. He needed Trump’s endorsement to win the Republican primary in a crowded field. He got it.
To earn the endorsement, Vance didn’t just walk back his criticism — he erased it. He appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show, amplified election fraud claims, attacked the “Deep State,” and parroted every Trump talking point. When asked about the “America’s Hitler” comments, he said: “I was wrong. I didn’t know the guy.” Trump endorsed him. Vance won the primary. He won the general election.
The Selection
On July 15, 2024 — two days after the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt — Trump announced Vance as his running mate at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. It was the youngest VP pick since Dan Quayle. At 39, Vance had been a senator for barely 18 months.
“America’s Hitler.” “Cultural heroin.” “Noxious.” “Reprehensible.” “I never liked him.” “Might be a cynical asshole like Nixon.” These are JD Vance’s words about Donald Trump. In private messages. On the record. Before he decided that power mattered more than everything he had previously claimed to believe.
The Pattern
Vance isn’t unique. The entire Trump-era Republican Party is a story of people who knew better and chose otherwise. Ted Cruz called Trump a “pathological liar” and a “narcissist.” Then phone-banked for him. Lindsey Graham said Trump would “destroy the Republican Party” and was “unfit for office.” Then became his golf buddy. Marco Rubio called Trump a “con artist.” Then was appointed Secretary of State. Vance called him America’s Hitler. Then became his vice president. The résumé of capitulation is bipartisan in its breadth and absolute in its completeness.
Bottom Line
JD Vance had a clear-eyed assessment of Donald Trump in 2016. He was right. Trump was everything Vance described — and worse, as the subsequent years proved. Then Vance decided that the path to power ran through the man he had called Hitler, and he walked that path without hesitation. He is now the Vice President of the United States. The “America’s Hitler” texts still exist. The conversion required no explanation because in Trump’s party, no explanation is needed. You say what the boss wants to hear, or you disappear. Vance chose not to disappear.
Sources
- Truthout: “JD Vance, who once called Trump ‘America’s Hitler,’ tapped for VP,” July 15, 2024.
- New York Times: VP pick announcement, Vance’s political transformation.
- Associated Press: Vance VP selection and background profile.
- Reuters: Vance’s transformation from Never Trumper to VP nominee.