Trump's 'Bulldog': Vance Supposedly Secures US Elections for Hardliners

Early in Trump’s presidency, Vance was an outspoken critic, calling Trump “dangerous” and “America’s Hitler.” However, that view changed when he stepped into the political spotlight six years later — and courted Trump as a supporter.

Since winning his 2022 congressional election, he has represented his home state of Ohio in the Senate, where he pursues a populist, nationalist agenda as a right-wing Republican. Vance may also owe his electoral success to very generous donors he knows from his previous career.

Vance: A change of heart is not a “eureka” experience.

Vance has made clear in interviews that his change of heart about Trump was not the result of one beneficial “eureka” experience. Rather, he gradually came to realize that his rejection was due more to Trump’s behavior than to any objective reasons.

He agrees with Trump’s view that free trade has hollowed out the middle class by destroying domestic manufacturing and that the country’s leaders are too quick to get involved in foreign wars. “I was so focused on Trump’s style that I completely ignored how he was offering something fundamentally different on foreign policy, trade and immigration,” Vance recently told The New York Times.

Echo or successor?

Vance developed his personal relationship with Trump primarily during the Republican primary earlier this year, according to one insider. His decision to endorse Trump in January 2023, ahead of many other party leaders, was seen as a significant sign of loyalty. Vance is also friends with Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr.

Because of his youth, supporters see him as a hope for the future and a leading voice for Republicans and Trump’s MAGA movement, which until now has been built solely around Trump. “Trump is going to hold the MAGA baton as long as he can,” Chip Saltsman, a longtime Republican strategist, told the New York Times. Vance, he added, is “the guy who is going to have the lead as an insider to hold the MAGA baton in four years.”

“deep opportunism”

Critics, however, see Vance’s change of heart as a cynical maneuver to move up the party ladder. “What we’re seeing is really deep opportunism,” University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven told Reuters. Vance is an echo of Trump, not a new voice.

If the Republicans win the US election in November, Vance, 40, will be one of the youngest vice presidents in US history. Given his good connections in the world of finance on the one hand, and his oratorical power on the other, he is considered a promising partner in the election campaign.

Offensive tone after Trump assassination attempt

Vance has already made clear what tone he would adopt after last weekend's assassination attempt on Trump: Instead of calling for unity in the country like other politicians, he personally blamed current US President Joe Biden for the attack.

On the podium, the American media is already calling Vance “the bulldog,” the lawmaker who will step into the breach for Trump — no matter what.

He has recently inspired Trump’s conservative colleagues in particular by explicitly rejecting U.S. aid to Ukraine. At the Munich Security Conference in February, Vance served as Trump’s spokesman and, in keeping with his wishes, called on Europe to do more to defend itself. Trump himself has repeatedly criticized America’s NATO partners for investing too little in defense.

rust belt reinforcement

Vance, who grew up poor, could help Trump’s campaign in the Rust Belt, among other places. The battered industrial region spans parts of Pennsylvania and Michigan, among other states, and was among the most closely contested in the election.

However, his sometimes ultra-conservative views can deter more moderate voters. His influence with Hispanic voters is considered to be relatively small — unlike Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who was also considered a “Trump running mate” and has Cuban roots.

Celebrities through books and movies

Vance was born James Donald Bowman in Ohio in 1984 and initially served in the Marine Corps. He earned a law degree from Yale University. There, he also met his current wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, the daughter of Indian immigrants, and has three children.

He later worked as a venture capitalist in California's Silicon Valley, among other places. In 2016, he celebrated his success with his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The best-selling book, which was also made into a movie, offers insight into the white American underclass that helped Trump win the election.