JD Vance
James David Vance was born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984. A graduate of Ohio State University and Yale Law School, JD Vance was elected to the United States Senate representing Ohio in 2022. In 2024, he became the Republican nominee for Vice President. Vance lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his family.
Some say he suffers from imposter syndrome, a deep-seated belief that he doesn’t really deserve the good job, the loving wife and kids. The non-verbal behavioral cues of social class are significantly different than the behaviors that pass for progressing in working class employment and social environments. Vance shows himself always to be exceptionally alert to what's going on around him. Vance had a career in venture capitalism, working with Peter Thiel's Mithril Capital and later co-founding his own investment firm, Narya Capital.
JD Vance's political views have evolved significantly over the years, reflecting his personal experiences, professional journey, and changing perspectives on various issues. Early in his public life, JD Vance was critical of Donald Trump and the populist movement within the Republican Party. He expressed concerns about Trump's rhetoric and approach, particularly regarding the impact on working-class Americans and the political discourse. In his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," Vance highlighted the socio-economic struggles of the white working-class community in the Rust Belt. While the book doesn't explicitly delve into his political ideology, it underscores his concern for this demographic and the systemic issues they face. This background informed his policy views on economic opportunity and social mobility.
Vance has been a vocal opponent of continued U.S. financial and military aid to Ukraine. He argues that the U.S. lacks the capacity to supply the vast amount of weapons Ukraine needs to win the war, citing the limited production capabilities for essential munitions like 155-millimeter artillery shells and Patriot missiles. He believes that even substantial aid packages would not significantly alter the outcome of the conflict due to these logistical constraints. He highlights the severe manpower shortages faced by Ukraine, noting that many Ukrainian men have fled the country or been conscripted, leading to a demographically strained military force. He argues that continued U.S. aid prolongs the conflict without offering a realistic path to Ukrainian victory, given Russia's significant population and military advantages.
Vance also contends that U.S. involvement in Ukraine is part of a broader strategy by economic elites to maintain a global order that benefits them while neglecting the interests of American workers. He questioned the value of the "rules-based international order" and advocated for a more nationalist approach to foreign policy, where nations are more self-reliant and less entangled in global conflicts.
Usha Vance (née Chilukuri) is JD Vance's wife. Usha, a corporate lawyer who used to be a registered Democrat, is the daughter of Indian immigrants and a practicing Hindu. She is the daughter of Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri, who hail from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and later settled in California. Krish is an engineer and university lecturer; Lakshmi a biologist and college provost. Usha met JD Vance at Yale Law School. After graduating from Yale Law School, Usha clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court. Clerkships, especially at the Supreme Court level, are highly prestigious and competitive positions, reflecting her legal acumen and capabilities.
Usha and JD Vance got married and have children together. Their family life has been a subject of interest, especially after the publication of "Hillbilly Elegy" and JD Vance's entry into politics. Throughout JD Vance's career, Usha has been a supportive partner. Her understanding of the legal and political landscape has been an asset to JD Vance as he navigated his career in venture capitalism and politics.
JD Vance - Early Life
JD was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, a once flourishing American manufacturing town where Ohioans could live content, middle-class lives on single incomes. Over time, many of those good jobs disappeared, and JD’s family suffered the effects along with many others. The Vance family story began with hope in postwar America. J.D.’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love” and moved north from Kentucky’s Appalachia region to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. They raised a middle-class family, and eventually one of their grandchildren would graduate from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of success in achieving generational upward mobility.
But as the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, J.D.’s grandparents, aunt, uncle, sister, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. Turbulence was common at home and at school. His grandmother, called Mamaw, was his saving grace. Her tough love and discipline kept him on the straight and narrow. A “blue dog” Democrat, she owned 19 handguns and nurtured a deep Christian faith in herself and her family. She died in 2005, shortly after JD enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.
JD went on to serve in the Iraq War. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Marines and served for four years. During his time in the Marine Corps, Vance was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His military service played a significant role in shaping his perspective and was a pivotal experience in his life, contributing to the discipline and determination he later applied to his education and career.
During his service in the United States Marine Corps, JD Vance worked in public affairs. Serving in public affairs provided Vance with valuable skills in communication, media relations, and public speaking. These skills are essential for crafting messages, managing public perception, and effectively conveying information — all of which were crucial in his later career as an author and politician. Vance's role in public affairs in the Marine Corps provided him with a unique set of skills and experiences that have been instrumental in his subsequent endeavors.
After completing his military service, Vance used the benefits provided by the G.I. Bill to attend Ohio State University and later Yale Law School. He graduated from The Ohio State University and Yale Law School. After leaving the Marine Corps, Vance attended Ohio State University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Philosophy. During his time at Ohio State, he was involved in various activities and organizations that helped shape his intellectual and professional development.
Vance went on to attend Yale Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. At Yale, he was mentored by Professor Amy Chua, who encouraged him to write about his experiences growing up in a struggling working-class family. This mentorship played a crucial role in the creation of his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy."
Vance excelled academically at Yale Law School, demonstrating the discipline and determination that characterized his earlier life experiences, including his military service. He completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, preparing him for a career in law and public service. Law School provided Vance with the opportunity to interact with a diverse group of students and faculty, broadening his perspectives and deepening his understanding of the law and its implications on society. Vance's time at Yale was crucial in shaping his career and public persona, providing him with the tools and platform to become a prominent author, venture capitalist, and politician.
JD Vance - Hillbilly Elegy
He is best known for his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis," which was published in 2016, became a bestseller, and was turned into a Netflix movie. The book provides a personal look at the struggles of America's white working class through the lens of Vance's upbringing in a poor Rust Belt town. His take on life as a tourist in the upper crust is hilarious, yet his acceptance of that lifestyle as a key to a better life is a little cynical. "Hillbilly Elegy" landed on reading lists due to articles that listed Vance's memoir as potential insight into the group that supposedly swung this year's election in favor of Donald Trump - poor, working-class whites in the country's rust belt. Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis—that of poor, white Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for over forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. In Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hanging around your neck.
Hillbilly Elegy is a passionate and personal analysis of a culture in crisis — that of white working-class Americans. The disintegration of this group, a process that has been slowly occurring now for more than forty years, has been reported with growing frequency and alarm, but has never before been written about as searingly from the inside. J.D.Vance tells the true story of what a social, regional, and class decline feels like when you were born with it hung around your neck.
As the family saga of Hillbilly Elegy plays out, J.D.'s grandparents, aunt, uncle, and, most of all, his mother struggled profoundly with the demands of their new middle-class life, never fully escaping the legacy of abuse, alcoholism, poverty, and trauma so characteristic of their part of America. With piercing honesty, Vance shows how he himself still carries around the demons of his chaotic family history. A deeply moving memoir, with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.
The Economist wrote “J.D. Vance’s memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy”, offers a starkly honest look at what that shattering of faith feels like for a family who lived through it. You will not read a more important book about America this year.” “[A] compassionate, discerning sociological analysis…Combining thoughtful inquiry with firsthand experience, Mr. Vance has inadvertently provided a civilized reference guide for an uncivilized election, and he’s done so in a vocabulary intelligible to both Democrats and Republicans. Imagine that.” — Jennifer Senior, New York Times. “[Hillbilly Elegy] is a beautiful memoir but it is equally a work of cultural criticism about white working-class America….[Vance] offers a compelling explanation for why it’s so hard for someone who grew up the way he did to make it…a riveting book.” — Wall Street Journal. “[Vance’s] description of the culture he grew up in is essential reading for this moment in history.” — David Brooks, New York Times. “[Hillbilly Elegy] couldn’t have been better timed...a harrowing portrait of much that has gone wrong in America over the past two generations...an honest look at the dysfunction that afflicts too many working-class Americans.” — National Review.
"To understand the rage and disaffection of America’s working-class whites, look to Greater Appalachia. In HILLBILLY ELEGY, J.D. Vance confronts us with the economic and spiritual travails of this forgotten corner of our country. Here we find women and men who dearly love their country, yet who feel powerless as their way of life is devastated. Never before have I read a memoir so powerful, and so necessary." — Reihan Salam, executive editor, National Review.
“A beautifully and powerfully written memoir about the author’s journey from a troubled, addiction-torn Appalachian family to Yale Law School, Hillbilly Elegy is shocking, heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and hysterically funny. It’s also a profoundly important book, one that opens a window on a part of America usually hidden from view and offers genuine hope in the form of hard-hitting honesty. Hillbilly Elegy announces the arrival of a gifted and utterly original new writer and should be required reading for everyone who cares about what’s really happening in America.” — Amy Chua, New York Times bestselling author of The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.
Vance blames entrenched poverty not on the wealthy and powerful, but on the poor and powerless. Vance argued that he managed his success by shaking off a white working-class culture of laziness, addiction, and failure.
JD Vance - Venture Capitalist
Prior to moving back to Ohio in 2017, Vance lived in San Francisco – the antithesis of his home town of Middletown. After graduating from Yale Law School, where he worked as a principal in an investment group co-founded by Peter Thiel, one of the few Silicon Valley poo-bahs to support Trump. JD Vance embraced the world of venture capitalism, working closely with Peter Thiel, the renowned entrepreneur and investor. Vance initially worked at Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel. Mithril Capital focuses on growth-stage companies, particularly those in the technology sector. Vance's role involved identifying and investing in promising startups, leveraging his analytical skills and understanding of market dynamics. Working with Thiel, Vance gained valuable insights into the venture capital industry and developed a network of influential contacts in the tech and investment sectors. Thiel, known for his contrarian views and successful investments (including early funding for Facebook and PayPal), was an important mentor for Vance during this period.
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, is a prominent figure in both technology and politics, and his ideology is a complex blend of libertarianism, technological futurism, and conservative nationalism. In his 2009 essay The Education of a Libertarian, Thiel controversially stated that he "no longer believes that freedom and democracy are compatible," arguing that democratic governments often limit innovation and individual liberty. Thiel is a proponent of technology as a solution to many of society’s problems, and he believes in what could be called "technological utopianism." He has advocated for the development of technologies like artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and even space exploration, which he believes can lead to radical societal transformations. His investments in ventures like Palantir (data analytics) and SpaceX (space exploration) reflect this belief in technology as a driving force for progress.
Thiel's political activities and views have made him a significant and sometimes controversial figure in both political and tech circles, reflecting a unique blend of libertarian, conservative, and nationalist ideas. Thiel has engaged with cultural conservative ideas, often emphasizing the importance of Western values and the need to protect them from progressive and globalist trends. Thiel made headlines in 2016 when he publicly supported Donald Trump's presidential campaign. He spoke at the Republican National Convention, highlighting his belief that Trump's outsider status and business acumen would bring necessary changes to Washington.During Vance’s Senate bid in 2022, Thiel donated more than $15 million to his campaign.
Thiel’s views shifted in recent years to align more closely with right-wing populism and nationalism. He was an early supporter of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign Thiel's support for Trump was significant, given his status as a Silicon Valley insider in an industry that largely opposed Trump. Thiel's political stance had evolved to include support for nationalist policies that prioritize American sovereignty, border security, and economic protectionism. This shift suggests a growing concern with globalism and an emphasis on American identity. Thiel has expressed a certain degree of pessimism about humanity's ability to govern itself effectively. He is critical of the political establishment, including both liberal and conservative elites, whom he sees as self-serving and detached from the concerns of ordinary people.
Building on his experience with Mithril Capital, Vance co-founded his own Ohio-based venture capital firm, Narya Capital, in 2020. With backing from Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt, Marc Andreessen and other Silicon Valley kings, bestselling author J.D. Vance was spinning up a new Ohio-based venture capital firm. Vance's Narya Capital has raised $93 million from investors for its first fund, with plans to raise as much as $125 million total, according to a regulatory filing. Dedicated to growing jobs and opportunity in the American heartland, the firm focused on investing in companies that are working on transformative technologies and solutions across various industries. Narya Capital's mission reflects Vance's belief in supporting innovation that can drive economic growth and address significant societal challenges.
Vance's work in venture capital also helped shape his views on economic policy and innovation, influencing his later political career. He has advocated for policies that support technological advancement and economic opportunity, drawing on his experience in the private sector.
JD Vance - Catholic
Mamaw, as he called her — hated organized religion, didn’t go to church and hung a drawing of Jesus in her house that presented him as a kind everyman. J.D. Vance publicly shared his journey regarding faith, including a period where he identified as an atheist. During his early years, Vance was raised in a culturally Christian environment but without strong attachment to any specific denomination. His faith journey evolved significantly over time. Vance has mentioned that during his time at Yale Law School, he considered himself an atheist. This phase lasted until around 2013, when he began exploring his faith more deeply again.
In 2019, Vance was baptized and received into the Catholic Church. His conversion was influenced by his intellectual and spiritual journey, and he was drawn to Catholicism's traditions and teachings. He selected St. Augustine as his patron saint, appreciating the saint's intellectual approach to faith, which resonated with Vance's own experiences and questions about religion. " I kind of like some of the weirder stuff too, like the Book of Daniel is like the Old Testament version of Revelation. I find a lot of that stuff pretty fascinating. I don’t know what it always means sometimes."
Vance supports the death penalty in some cases, wants to boost fossil fuels, wants to deport millions of migrants and has voted against many government programs aimed at aiding the poor. All of those positions are in opposition to his church. The post-liberal movement seeks a greater government role to form a society run on socially conservative Christian values.
JD Vance - Senator
Fueled by a desire to create tangible change, he entered the political arena and won a seat in the U.S. Senate. His tenure as a senator was marked by a relentless focus on key issues such as economic revitalization, education reform, and combating addiction. Vance’s legislative efforts, coupled with his ability to connect with constituents on a deeply personal level, solidified his reputation as a dedicated public servant. Vance became more vocal on cultural and social issues, aligning with conservative positions on topics such as family values, education, and government intervention. He criticized what he saw as the negative impact of progressive policies and cultural trends on American society. JD Vance's evolving political views illustrate a broader trend within the Republican Party, where traditional conservative principles are increasingly blending with populist and nationalist themes.
JD Vance's political journey was marked by notable shifts and contradictions, making his stance on Donald Trump a subject of intrigue and critique. During the 2016 election, Vance openly opposed Trump, announcing his intention to vote third party and expressing doubt about Trump's effectiveness. His critical views extended to likening Trump to heroin and dismissing the ‘MAGA’ movement as a ‘quick high.’ Described as a 'never Trumper,' Vance declared his opposition on public platforms, asserting that Trump was not the ideal candidate for white-working class voters.
In 2016, Vance aligned himself with Trump's accusers, tweeting about allegations of sexual assault and implying a skepticism of Trump's honesty. He connected racism and xenophobia to Trump's base of support, emphasizing racial resentment among Trump's followers. Vance's association with the American Enterprise Institute, an organization critical of Trump, adds another layer to his political affiliations. As a former writer for FrumForum, run by known 'never Trumper' David Frum, Vance's connections to Trump-antagonists become more apparent. Despite initial moderate Republican and Democratic tendencies, Vance shifted his stance, actively supporting Trump's policies and encouraging votes for him in the 2020 election. Vance's political evolution raises questions about the consistency of his views and the influences shaping his positions.
In 2020 he was under fire after calling himself a ‘nationalist who worries about America's low fertility.’ Critics view the label as a nod to both white nationalism and the ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory, the racist fear that falling birthrates among white women will lead to whites being replaced by non-whites. ‘As a parent of young children and a nationalist who worries about America's low fertility I can say with confidence that daylight savings time reduces fertility by at least 10 percent,’ Vance wrote.
"Vance has also been widely criticized for the conclusions he draws from his experiences, as well as for ignoring racial undertones in the culture about which he writes. His comments over the weekend drew similar criticism after being seen by many as dogwhistles for white nationalism and misogyny. While some have argued that ‘nationalism’ with no adjectival modifier may apply to anyone who feels positively about their country, Vance, a white man and graduate of Yale law, explicitly connects a worry about fertility rates to his nationalism." (Roger Sollenberger, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Faces Backlash Over Remarks Connecting Nationalism To Fertility Rate,” Salon, 11/3/20)
He stirred up Twitter in April 2021 with a defense of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson, accused of using white supremacist rhetoric about immigrants. ‘Tucker Carlson is the only powerful figure who consistently challenges elite dogma — on both cultural and economic questions. That is why they try to destroy him,’ Vance wrote.
In a 2021 interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, then-Senate-candidate Vance complained that the U.S. was being run by Democrats, corporate oligarchs and "a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they've made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too." "It's just a basic fact — you look at Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, AOC — the entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children,” Vance continued. “And how does it make any sense that we've turned our country over to people who don't really have a direct stake in it?" The world’s most famous self-described cat ladies, Taylor Swift, wields a ton of influence among the voting public.
JD Vance - Candidate
In a strategic and unexpected move, J.D. Vance was nominated as the running mate of Donald Trump for the upcoming presidential election. This pivotal moment in Vance’s career has brought his journey full circle, elevating him to the national stage and offering him a platform to further advocate for the issues he holds dear. The campaign trail has highlighted Vance’s unique ability to bridge divides, foster economic opportunity, and strengthen communities, resonating with a broad spectrum of voters.
Vance's previous statements included calling Trump an "idiot" and expressing concerns that Trump could be "America's Hitler" in private communications. These comments have resurfaced and were used in attack ads by his political opponents. “I’m a Never Trump guy,” Vance said in an interview with Charlie Rose in 2016. “I never liked him.” Vance tweeted in October 2016. “My god what an idiot,” referring to Trump. "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a--hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler," Vance wrote in 2016.
Vance since expressed regret for his past criticisms of Trump. Vance concluded Trump, "is the leader of this movement, and if I actually care about these people and the things I say I care about, I need to just suck it up and support him."
Over time, Vance's views shifted more in alignment with Trumpism and populist conservatism. He began to publicly support Donald Trump and his policies, particularly those focused on economic nationalism, immigration control, and a tougher stance on China. Vance's shift was partly driven by his belief that the traditional Republican establishment had failed to address the needs of working-class Americans. In his 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio, Vance embraced many of Trump's policies and received an endorsement from Trump himself. He campaigned on issues like border security, trade policies favorable to American workers, and skepticism of big tech companies. His campaign rhetoric and policy positions reflected a more populist, nationalist approach compared to his earlier views.
J.D. Vance stated on April 5, 2022 in a TV ad: “Joe Biden’s open border” means that there are “more Democrat voters pouring into this country." Mike Madrid, an anti-Trump Republican strategist countered "That’s blatantly inaccurate for a whole lot of reasons, the main one being it's just not true". Federal law requires citizenship to vote in national elections. Rutgers University professor Lorraine Minnite said Vance’s comments are a "delusion."
Vance said in a social media post on 14 July 2024 that the attempted assassination of Trump was “not some isolated incident,” and suggested Biden’s campaign was to blame. “The central premise of the Biden campaign is that President Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs,” Vance wrote. “That rhetoric led directly to President Trump’s attempted assassination.”
An Iranian government hack of the Trump campaign in June 2024 left the the news media sitting on a 271-page research paper the Trump campaign prepared to vet now vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance (and other documents), declining to publish in fear of finding itself at odds with the government’s campaign against “foreign malign influence.” The dossier is a gold mine of things that prove that Vance is on the record saying he really doesn’t believe in pretty much anything Trump has done and he’s admitted time and time again that Democrats are probably better for the working class than Republicans.
JD Vance defended amplifying false stories about migrants stealing and eating pets in the United States, saying in an interview that the political ends justify the means. During several television appearances on Sunday, Vance was questioned about the unfounded claims he and Trump have made about Haitian migrants in the city of Springfield, Ohio, as part of a wider attack on the immigration policies of the Democratic presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. Vance remained defiant on Sunday, saying in an interview with CBS News that he had received “verifiable and confirmable” accounts from residents of the Ohio community, without providing further evidence of the alleged incidents. “Everybody who has dealt with a large influx of migration knows that sometimes there are cultural practices that seem very far out there to a lot of Americans,” he said. “Are we not allowed to talk about this in the United States of America?”
“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do … because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast,” Vance replied. “I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it,” Vance said.
JD Vance - Vice President
Lincoln Project claimed Vance would use 25th Amendment to kick Trump our of office. the Vice President and the majority of Cabinet members would have to affirm Trump’s incapacity to serve. Trump's MAGA policies sound a whole lot better when Vance is talking about them, rather than when they come from the man himself. “After the debate, Silicon bros, Republican power brokers, and the 60-year-old virgins at the Heritage Foundation see JD as a better salesman for their sick agenda,” said Lincoln Project Chief of Staff Ryan Wiggins. “Trump can’t stand to share the spotlight and he’s currently playing second fiddle to his pitifully weird VP pick’s guyliner.”
"You’re in trouble, Donald. In the courts, in the streets, in your own party. But there's one big problem you never saw coming. Turn around. He’s right behind you. It's JD. His billionaire friends mock you. Why do you think they forced JD Vance on you? Age is getting to you, Donald, and you're just too slow to see the plan. If you win, JD will come for you. You won't see him until it's too late. He won't wait until you make a mistake.
"JD's plot to invoke the 25th Amendment is already underway. Your cabinet betrayed you before. Why would it be different now? And with the Democrats in the majority, no one will stop him. Republicans want someone younger, smarter, someone stable. A leader who will execute Project 2025 without your problems. Rupert's Wall Street Journal said, "Vance's version of Trump is better than the real thing."
"JD switched from never Trump hater to your running mate in record time. You thought that was real? You think he won't stab you in the back to seize 10 years of power in the White House? So yes, Donald, they really are out to get you. And the one who will betray your presidency is right by your side."
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