Research Dossier: J.D. Vance

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RESEARCH DOSSIER

J.D. VANCE
Last Updated: February 23, 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ 2
EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS ............................................................................................................ 18
DOSSIER NOTES .................................................................................................................... 18
POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES ........................................................................................ 18
Potential Opposition Narrative - Anti-Trump Record And Establishment Ties ................... 18
Potential Opposition Narrative - Questionable Conservatism .............................................. 18
TOP HITS ................................................................................................................................. 20
Political ................................................................................................................................. 20
Anti-Trump Record And Establishment Ties ....................................................................... 20
Questionable Conservatism .................................................................................................. 23
Notable Vulnerabilities With Moderates .............................................................................. 27
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ............................................................................................. 29
PERSONAL INFORMATION: J.D. VANCE.......................................................................... 29
ELECTION RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 31
2022 General Election, U.S. Senate, Ohio ............................................................................ 31
CAMPAIGN FINANCE ........................................................................................................... 31
JD Vance For Senate (2028) ................................................................................................. 32
JD Vance For Senate (2022) ................................................................................................. 34
Individual Contributions ....................................................................................................... 46
VOTING RECORDS ................................................................................................................ 47
Hamilton County, OH ........................................................................................................... 47
Franklin County, OH ............................................................................................................ 49
Butler County, OH ................................................................................................................ 50
EDUCATION RECORDS ........................................................................................................ 51
Ohio State University ............................................................................................................ 51
PUBLIC COMPENSATION RECORDS ................................................................................ 52
U.S. Senate (2013-Pres.) ....................................................................................................... 52
MILITARY RECORDS............................................................................................................ 53
U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007) ........................................................................................... 53
LOBBYING RECORDS .......................................................................................................... 53
Sidley Austin......................................................................................................................... 54
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CRIMINAL RECORDS ........................................................................................................... 56

Traffic Citations .................................................................................................................... 56
POLICE RECORDS ................................................................................................................. 57
REAL PROPERTY RECORDS ............................................................................................... 57
BANKRUPTCIES, JUDGMENTS, & LIENS RECORDS ...................................................... 60

Small Claims ......................................................................................................................... 60
LEGAL ISSUES ....................................................................................................................... 61
BUSINESS RECORDS ............................................................................................................ 61
JD Vance Enterprises LLC ................................................................................................... 62
JDE Enterprise Investments LLC ......................................................................................... 62
Narya Capital Management, LLC ......................................................................................... 63
Narya Capital Fund I, L.P. .................................................................................................... 63
Narya Capital GP I, LLC ...................................................................................................... 64
NON-PROFIT RECORDS ....................................................................................................... 64
Our Ohio Renewal Foundation ............................................................................................. 64
PROFESSIONAL & RECREATIONAL LICENSES .............................................................. 65
Attorney License ................................................................................................................... 65
PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE .............................................................................. 66
2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, U.S. Senate ................................................................. 66
VANCE’S ANTI-TRUMP RECORD AND ESTABLISHMENT TIES ..................................... 71
VANCE WAS OPPOSED TO TRUMP’S CANDIDACY DURING THE 2016 ELECTION 71
As Early As August 2016, Vance Had Announced His Intention To Vote Third Party As
Opposed To Voting For Trump ............................................................................................ 71
Vance Was Accused Of “Effectively” Voting For Hillary Clinton ...................................... 73
During The Campaign And After The Election, Vance Doubted Trump’s Ability To Be
Effective In Office ................................................................................................................ 73
Vance Criticized Trump’s Statements And Policy Proposals............................................... 74
Vance Said Trump’s Election Would Be “Terrible For The Country” ................................ 75
Vance Compared Trump To Heroin And Mocked MAGA As A “Quick High” ................. 75
Vance Called Trump “Dangerous” On Numerous Occasions .............................................. 75
Vance Said Voters Were Not Attached To Trump And He Would Get “Crushed” ............. 76
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Vance Wrote That He “Loathed” Trump’s “Obvious Personal Character Flaws” ............... 76
Vance Said He Fought Against Trump ................................................................................. 76
Vance Said Trump Was A Bad 2016 Candidate ................................................................... 77
Vance Said, “We Have To Reject The Rhetoric Of Trump” ................................................ 77
After The 2016 Election, Vance Said He Did Not Think Trump Fully Appreciated The
“Complexity Of What’s Going On” ..................................................................................... 77
Vance Criticized Trump For Creating Finger Pointing Among The White Working Class 78
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE WAS DESCRIBED AS A ‘NEVER TRUMPER’
................................................................................................................................................... 78
In An October 2016 Appearance On “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance Declared He Was “A
Never Trump Guy” And “Never Liked Him”....................................................................... 78
Vance Claimed There Was A “Willingness From People Who Think A Lot Like I Do” To
Say Trump Was “Going To Be A Terrible Candidate” And “That You Were An Idiot If You
Voted For Him” .................................................................................................................... 78
Vance Said Trump Was Not The Best Candidate For White-Working Class Voters .......... 79
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE INDICATED HE BELIEVED THE WOMEN
WHO ACCUSED TRUMP OF SEXUAL ASSAULT............................................................. 79
In 2016, Vance Indicated He Believed One Of Trump’s Sexual-Assault Accusers Over
Trump And Mocked Trump For Not Telling The Truth....................................................... 79
In 2016, It Was Reported That Vance Tweeted “What Percentage Of The American
Population Has @Realdonaldtrump Sexually Assaulted?” .................................................. 80
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE LINKED RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA TO
TRUMP’S BASE OF SUPPORT ............................................................................................. 80
In 2016, Vance Said People Who “Might Be Described As If Not As Racist At Least As
Expressing Some Sort Of Racial Resentment” Were Supporting Trump............................. 80
In 2016, Vance Said, “There Are People Who Are Drawn To Trump Because He Says
Racially Insensitive Things” ................................................................................................. 81
In 2018, Vance Was Still An Opponent Of Trump, Citing His Race-Related Policies ........ 84
VANCE HAS SUGGESTED THERE WAS NO SIGN OF VOTER FRAUD IN THE 2016
ELECTION ............................................................................................................................... 84
Vance Said Voter Fraud Did Not Impact The 2016 Election And Said There Was No
Evidence Of It ....................................................................................................................... 84
VANCE ONCE IMPLIED THAT TRUMP IS PRONE TO LYING ....................................... 85
In 2017, Vance Criticized Trump For Saying “Half-Truths Or Lies” So Frequently “That
You Stop Actually Taking The President Literally .............................................................. 85
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VANCE APPEARED TO BE CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S COMMENTS SURROUNDING

THE EVENTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE ............................................................................... 85
Following The Charlottesville Protests, Vance Said Trump “Really Missed An Opportunity
To Name This Phenomenon And Gives People A Sense Where It Comes From And Show
The Moral Leadership People Want From A President” ...................................................... 85
Vance Said Trump Was “Ambivalent Or Too Cautious About Coming Out And Criticizing”
Racism And Nazism ............................................................................................................. 86
Vance Said Trump Failing To Unite The Country Following Charlottesville Was A “Missed
Opportunity” ......................................................................................................................... 86
EARLY IN THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY, VANCE INDICATED TRUMP WAS FAILING
ON HIS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES .................................................................................... 86
In 2017, Vance Said, “I Think You Hear From A Lot Of Different People If You’re On The
Ground In These Areas Talking To People Is A Broad Recognition That Things Aren’t
Going Fantastically Well Right Now” Regarding Trump’s Legislative Priorities ............... 86
Vance: “A Bigger Problem, I Think, Is The Feeling That The Big Pushes That The
President Has Really Made On Health Care, On Some Of These Other Issues, Haven’t
Really Materialized” ............................................................................................................. 87
Vance Noted There Was A “Sense That The President Just Isn’t Able To Deliver” ........... 87
VANCE, AT TIMES, APPEARED DISMISSIVE OF EFFORTS TO HIGHLIGHT FRAUD
IN THE 2020 ELECTION ........................................................................................................ 87
After The 2020 Election, Vance Said People Questioning The 2020 Election Results Would
Not Become Violent And Also Said Biden Would Be Inaugurated ..................................... 87
VANCE SERVED WITH THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE – AN
ORGANIZATION WITH TIES TO TRUMP CRITICISM ..................................................... 88
In 2019, Vance Was Announced By Yuval Levin As A Part-Time Visiting Scholar At The
American Enterprise Institute ............................................................................................... 88
In 2021, Levin Criticized Trump For Promoting “Fraud Conspiracies” That Trump Actually
Won The Election ................................................................................................................. 88
Following The 2021 Attack On The Capitol, Levin Criticized Trump In The Dispatch And
Wrote That “Trump Almost Fully Inhabits A Boorish, Narcissistic Psychodrama Playing In
His Head” .............................................................................................................................. 89
VANCE IS AN ALUM OF THE WEBSITE FORMERLY RUN BY DAVID FRUM - A
KNOWN NEVER TRUMPER ................................................................................................. 89
Vance Is A Former Writer For FrumForum, An Online Forum Founded By David Frum .. 89
In The Acknowledgments Of Hillbilly Elegy, Vance Thanked Frum .................................. 91
Frum, A Former Speechwriter For George W. Bush, Is “One Of The Best Known Never
Trumpers” Who “Made His Break With The GOP Long Before Trump” ........................... 91
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VANCE HAS TIES TO VARIOUS ADDITIONAL TRUMP-ANTAGONISTS ................... 91

Vance Has Said He Is “Good Friends” With Mike DeWine ................................................ 91
Vance Has Previous Ties To Notorious Trump Critic John Kasich ..................................... 92
Vance Previously Supported Notorious Trump Critic John McCain ................................... 92
VANCE HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED AS A MODERATE WITH DEMOCRAT
TENDENCIES .......................................................................................................................... 92
In 2016, Vance Said, “I’m Frankly Not A Libertarian In The Sense That I Think
Government Has No Role In Fixing” Societal Problems ..................................................... 92
In 2017, The American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner Said That At A Recent Conference He
Attended With Vance, Vance “Sounded Almost Like A Democrat” ................................... 93
In 2017, Vance Was Described As A “Moderate Republican” ............................................ 93
VANCE PREVIOUSLY HEAPED PRAISE UPON HILLARY CLINTON .......................... 93
Vance Praised The 2016 Democratic National Convention While Criticizing The
Republican Convention ......................................................................................................... 93
Vance Said There Was A Chance He Would Vote For Clinton If Trump Had A Chance To
Win ........................................................................................................................................ 93
In An Op-Ed, Vance Recalled A Time In His Life When He “Admired President Clinton”94
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY HEAPED PRAISE UPON BARACK OBAMA ..................... 94
Vance Has Praised Obama For Offering “Hope” And Said He Would “Miss Him” As
Obama Was Leaving Office.................................................................................................. 94
Vance Characterized Obama’s “Guns And Religion” Comment As “Well-Intentioned” .... 96
Vance Claimed Some White Working-Class Voters Supported Trump Because Of A
Racially Motived Backlash To Obama ................................................................................. 96
VANCE HAS PRAISED DEMOCRATIC-SOCIALIST BERNIE SANDERS ...................... 97
Vance Said Bernie Sanders Was His Favorite Democrat Running In The 2020 Democrat
Primary.................................................................................................................................. 97
Vance Predicted That Trump Was Part Of A Political Realignment That Would Position
Trump And Bernie Sanders On The Same Side In 20 Years ................................................ 97
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ONCE INDICATED THAT JOE BIDEN COULD HAVE
BEAT TRUMP IN 2016 ........................................................................................................... 98
In 2016, Vance Said Biden “Could Have Done A Lot Better” Than Hillary Clinton .......... 98
FOLLOWING THE END OF TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY, VANCE PRAISED TRUMP’S
POLICY AND WAS AN ACTIVE SUPPORTER OF HIS 2020 RE-ELECTION ................. 98
Vance In 2021: I “Ultimately Pulled The Trigger And Encouraged A Lot Of My Friends To
… Pull The Lever For Donald Trump In 2020” ................................................................... 98
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Vance: “I Was Really Happy With The Policy. And So, That’s What Caused Me To
Become A Trump Supporter” ............................................................................................... 98
Vance Has Attacked Trump’s Ban From Social Media Outlets ........................................... 99
Vance Blasted Calls From Democrats To Hold Former Trump Administration Officials
Accountable After He Left Office ........................................................................................ 99
Vance Blasted The Idea In An Appearance On Fox News, And Accused Democrats Of
Wanting “Revenge” Rather Than Truth And Reconciliation ............................................... 99
Vance Worried That Reich’s Proposal Would Make It More Difficult To Staff Future
Republican Administrations................................................................................................ 100
VANCE’S QUESTIONABLE CONSERVATISM .................................................................... 101
VANCE ONCE ADMITTED THAT WORKING CLASS AMERICANS BENEFIT FROM
DEMOCRAT-POLICIES ....................................................................................................... 101
In 2016, Vance Said White Working-Class Voters Could “Benefit” From Some Democrat
Economic Policies Versus Those From Republicans ......................................................... 101
VANCE ONCE CRITICIZED TRUMP’S “CORE DOMESTIC POLICY PRIORITIES” ... 101
In 2017, Vance Reflected On Trump’s “Core Domestic Policy Priorities,” Claiming It Was
“Not Looking Especially Good Right Now” ...................................................................... 101
Vance: “I Just Don't See The Evidence That We're Being Serious About The Policies That
Are Necessary To Move The Country Forward Yet” ......................................................... 101
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S 2017 TAX CUTS BILL
................................................................................................................................................. 102
In 2018, Vance Criticized Republicans For Living In The 1980s With The Party’s Tax And
Health Care Reform Policies .............................................................................................. 102
Vance Criticized Republicans For Cutting Taxes For The Wealthy And Cutting The Social
Safety Net............................................................................................................................ 102
In 2019, Vance Criticized The 2017 Tax Reform Law As “Ok, It Wasn’t Terrible, But It
Wasn’t Great” ..................................................................................................................... 102
It Should Be Noted That Vance Was Also Critical Of The Bush-Era Tax Cuts ................ 102
Additionally, Vance Has Noted His Opposition To Supply-Side Tax Cuts ....................... 103
VANCE HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR INCREASING THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX
RATE ...................................................................................................................................... 103
Vance Supports Raising The Capital Gains Tax Rate ........................................................ 103
VANCE HAS CALLED TO RAISE TAXES ON U.S. BUSINESSES IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES ............................................................................................................... 104
Vance Called For Taxing Firms That Produce Goods Overseas ........................................ 104
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VANCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT HIGHER TAXES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT

CHILDREN ............................................................................................................................ 104
In 2021, Vance Said He Supports Higher Taxes For People Who Do Not Have Children 104
VANCE HAS SOMEWHAT FLIP-FLOPPED ON CUTS TO THE FEDERAL BUDGET 104
In 2017, Vance Warned That GOP Budget Cuts Were Evidence That Trump And
Republicans In Congress Were Not Focused On “Core Constituencies” ........................... 104
In 2017, Vance Noted He Supports Using Government Spending To Solve Social Problems
............................................................................................................................................. 105
However, Vance Supported The 2011 Ryan Budget .......................................................... 105
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY SIGNALED SUPPORT FOR DISTORTING THE FREE-
MARKET WITH FEDERAL SUBSIDIES ............................................................................ 106
Vance Called Grover Norquist A “Fiscal Phony” For Opposing Ending Ethanol Subsidies
............................................................................................................................................. 106
VANCE HAS QUESTIONED CONSERVATIVES FOR PRIORITIZING AMERICA’S
BUSINESSES ......................................................................................................................... 107
Vance Previously Criticized Conservatives For Prizing Corporate Interests ..................... 107
Vance Criticized The Practice Of Offering Economic Incentives To Companies To Relocate
............................................................................................................................................. 108
VANCE HAS INDICATED HE SUPPORTED UNION PRIORITIES OVER THAT OF
AMERICAN BUSINESS ....................................................................................................... 109
Vance Previously Indicated He Opposes Right-To-Work Laws ........................................ 109
Vance Has Criticized GOP Donors For Pushing Antagonism Toward Unions.................. 109
Vance Signed Onto A Report Calling For Reforms To Greatly Strengthen Labor Unions 109
Vance And Other Signers Of The Report Called For Conservatives To Consider Allowing
Sectoral Bargaining, Works Councils, And Requiring Seats For Labor Representatives On
Corporate Boards ................................................................................................................ 110
Under Sectoral Bargaining, Collective Bargaining Contracts And Wage Rules Are
Negotiated That Apply To All Workers In A Particular Occupation, Industry Or Region,
Rather Than At A Single Employer .................................................................................... 110
Works Councils – Common In European Factories – Allow Workers To Elect
Representatives To Work With Management To Establish Employment Policies Like Work
Hours And Disciplinary Rules ............................................................................................ 110
VANCE HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF FREE-MARKET ECONOMIC PRIORITY .............. 111
Vance Opposes Milton Friedman-Backed Economic Policies ........................................... 111
Vance Has Called For Prioritizing The American “Nuclear Family” Over Free Market
Principles............................................................................................................................. 112
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VANCE WORKED AS A CONTRIBUTOR FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT

EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM OF TRUMP’S AMERICA FIRST TRADE AGENDA .......... 114
Vance Is A Contributing Writer For A Conservative Think Tank That Is Skeptical Of Free
Market Policies ................................................................................................................... 114
EARLY DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, VANCE QUESTIONED WHETHER
TRUMP SHOULD BE CREDITED FOR THE BOOMING ECONOMY ............................ 116
Vance Criticized The Relevance Of The Trump Policies To The Economic Boom And Its
Distribution To All Parts Of The Country .......................................................................... 116
OPPONENTS COULD SUGGEST VANCE IS HYPOCRITICAL FOR HIS CRITICISM OF
‘BIG TECH’............................................................................................................................ 117
Vance Has Criticized “Big Tech” But Receives His Salary From Tech Executives .......... 117
Vance Said Conservatives Should Break With Corporations Over Censorship Of Donald
Trump And His Supporters ................................................................................................. 117
VANCE OPPOSED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO REPEAL AND
REPLACE OBAMACARE .................................................................................................... 118
In 2017, Vance Criticized Republican Efforts To Repeal And Replace Obamacare Under
President Trump, Claiming He Doesn’t “Love The Plan At All” ...................................... 118
Vance Warned That The People Who Would “Lose Out Most” In The GOP-Led
ObamaCare Replacement Bill Are The Ones Who Voted For Donald Trump .................. 118
Vance: “Those Folks, They Very Well See Their Deductibles Go Up, Their Premiums Go
Up. … There's Obviously A Significant Issue Of Folks Potentially Losing Access To Their
Health Care”........................................................................................................................ 119
Vance Claimed “Folks Back Home” Were Worried About The GOP-Led ObamaCare
Reforms And “About Losing The Medicaid Expansion And Most Worried About Losing
Their Health Care” .............................................................................................................. 119
Vance Warned That The Bill Suffered From “Core Deficiencies,” Claiming “Millions Of
People” Were “Losing Health Coverage Either Through Medicaid Or Through Another
Mechanism” ........................................................................................................................ 120
Vance Urged Sen. Rob Portman To Vote Against The House-Passed Bill To Repeal And
Replace ObamaCare Due To Its Medicaid Cuts And Tax Cuts.......................................... 120
Vance: “I Don’t Understand Why That Is Such A Focus Of The House Bill. … Don’t Have
A Health Bill And Use It To Cut Taxes” ............................................................................ 120
Vance Lamented The Lack Of A Plan To Replace ObamaCare, Saying “There Has Never
Been A Shared Republican Vision For What The Replacement Is Going To Look Like” 121
In A 2017 New York Times Op-Ed, Vance Lamented Republican Repeal Efforts For
Leaving A Situation Where “Millions Will Be Unable To Pay For Basic Health Care” ... 121
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Vance Said Republicans Would Likely Find Themselves “Mired In Internal Contradictions”
Like Arguing That “A Bill That Cuts Subsidies For The Poor Somehow Makes Care More
Accessible” ......................................................................................................................... 121
Following The Defeat Of The Bill, Vance Called The Legislation A “Moral And Political
Disaster” .............................................................................................................................. 122
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED SOME HESITATION CONCERNING
SCHOOL CHOICE INITIATIVES ........................................................................................ 123
Vance Has Previously Questioned The Effectiveness Of Vouchers For High-School Aged
Students ............................................................................................................................... 123
VANCE HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR ASPECTS OF THE LEFT’S EXTREMIST
CLIMATE AGENDA ............................................................................................................. 124
Vance Previously Suggested The U.S. Has “A Climate Problem”..................................... 124
Vance Previously Acknowledged That Coal Jobs Are Not Coming Back ......................... 124
Vance Previously Said Natural Gas Would Not Take Us To A Clean Energy Future ....... 124
Vance Previously Doubted Whether There Would Be Job-Related Benefits From Pulling
Out Of The Paris Climate Agreement ................................................................................. 124
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S SUGGESTION TO BUILD A U.S. SOUTHERN
BORDER WALL .................................................................................................................... 125
Vance Previously Criticized The Idea Of A Southern Border Wall ................................... 125
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S PROPOSED TRAVEL BAN ............................. 125
Vance Previously Opposed Trump’s Muslim Ban ............................................................. 125
VANCE PREVIOUSLY BLAMED U.S. BUSINESSES ON THE BORDER CRISIS ........ 126
In March 2021, Vance Wrote That The “Masters Of The Universe” And The Need For
“Cheap Foreign Labor” Resulted In The Border Crisis ...................................................... 126
Vance Said Illegal Immigration Is “About Money” And Cheap Labor For Business Leaders
............................................................................................................................................. 126
Vance Said “We Should Take A Page From President Trump's Playbook And Call This
What It Is” Despite Accusations From Some That It Is Racist To Criticize Biden’s
Immigration Policies ........................................................................................................... 126
In 2019, Vance Agreed With Fox News’ Tucker Carlson That The “Ruling Class” Had
Made The Immigration Debate About Race To Convince Black Voters To Support Liberal
Immigration Policies Against Their Economic Interests .................................................... 127
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN POSITIONS THAT UNDERMINE THE
RELIGIOUS-RIGHT .............................................................................................................. 127
Vance Attacked 2012 GOP Candidates For Missing “The Mark” On Evolution............... 127
Vance Criticized GOP Presidential Candidates Opposed To The Federal Marriage
Amendment, Which He Said Would Rip “Apart New Families” ....................................... 128
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VANCE’S CONTROVERSIAL FOREIGN POLICY RECORD .............................................. 129

VANCE CRITICIZED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR THE AIRSTRIKE THAT
KILLED QASEM SOLEIMANI ............................................................................................ 129
In 2020, Vance Criticized President Trump’s Airstrike Killing Iranian General Qasem
Soleimani, Worrying It Would Continue To Bog Down America In The Middle East To
The Advantage Of China .................................................................................................... 129
Vance Suggested That The Country Had Been Entangled In Wars In The Middle East So
“Financial Elites” Could Profit From The Rise Of China .................................................. 129
VANCE HAS MADE CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS CONCERNING CHINESE
PATRIOTISM......................................................................................................................... 130
Vance Previously Claimed That Chinese Nationals Were More Patriotic Than U.S.
Nationals ............................................................................................................................. 130
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE FLIP-FLOPPED ON HIS SUPPORT FOR THE IRAQ WAR
................................................................................................................................................. 130
In 2016, Vance Criticized The Iraq War And Jeb Bush For Continuing To Defend The War
............................................................................................................................................. 130
However, Vance Previously Noted He Supported The Invasion Of Iraq ........................... 131
Additionally, Vance Was A Reporter For The U.S. Department Of Defense And Reported
Successes In Iraq ................................................................................................................. 132
In Early 2017, Vance Has Criticized “Never-Ending Commitment” To Iraq While Calling
For “Some Sort Of Happy Median” Going Forward Under Trump ................................... 132
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE EMBRACED NON-INTERVENTIONISM ....................... 133
Vance Has Called For A More Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy .................................. 133
VANCE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE CHIEF OBSTRUCTIONISTS TO U.S. EFFORTS TO
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE ........................................................................ 134
According To The Associated Press, Vance Expressed His Opposition To Ukraine Funding
By Stating “The Problem In Ukraine … Is That There’s No Clear End Point” ................. 134
Vance Claimed Ukraine Funding Will “Not Going To Fundamentally Change The Reality
On The Battlefield” ............................................................................................................. 134
Vance Supports “Negotiated Peace” Between Russia And Ukraine .................................. 134
Vance Published A Press Release Describing Ukraine Aid Legislation As A “‘Ukraine
First’ Foreign Aid Package” ............................................................................................... 135
In 2023, Vance Signed Onto A Letter To The Director Of The Office Of Management And
Budget Calling For Details On Ukraine Spending ............................................................. 137
Recently, Vance Stated He Opposed Ukraine Funding In Order To Protect Donald Trump
From Potential Future Impeachment .................................................................................. 139
VANCE’S NOTABLE VULNERABILITIES WITH MODERATES ...................................... 140
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VANCE HAS TAKEN A POPULIST VIEW ON GLOBAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

................................................................................................................................................. 140
Vance Supports Trade Policies “Different” From Free Trade ............................................ 140
Vance Opposed Completely Unwinding Trade Agreements, Noting The “Factories Still
Aren’t Coming Back” ......................................................................................................... 140
Vance Has Criticized The Idea That Bad Trade Deals—Including With Countries Like
China—Were To Blame For Job Losses ............................................................................ 140
Vance: “It's Not That We Have This Terrible Trade Deal With China. It's Just That A Lot
Of Things ............................................................................................................................ 140
Vance Has Suggested That The Republican Party’s Support For Free Trade Is At Odds With
Its Working Class Base ....................................................................................................... 141
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ONCE CALLED FOR SLASHING SOCIAL SECURITY
AND MEDICARE .................................................................................................................. 141
Prior To Running For Office, Vance Wrote That He Would Support Dramatic Cuts To
Social Security And Supported A Plan That The AARP Warned Would “End Medicare As
We Know It” ....................................................................................................................... 141
VANCE IS OPPOSED TO PROVIDING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE TO LOW INCOME
AMERICANS ......................................................................................................................... 145
Vance Opposed Biden’s Plan To Expand Child Care To Low- And Moderate-Income
Families ............................................................................................................................... 145
After His Wife Gave Birth To Their First Child, Vance Was Living In Columbus While His
Wife Lived In Washington, D.C. With Her Mother ........................................................... 146
Vance Supports Legislation To Expand Kinship Guardians In Ohio ................................. 146
VANCE APPEARS TO OPPOSE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS ....... 147
Vance Criticized Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Proposals ............................................. 147
However, Vance Indicated Support For Hillary Clinton’s Free-College Plan ................... 147
VANCE IS OPPOSED TO EXPANDING HEALTHCARE ACCESS TO ALL AMERICANS
................................................................................................................................................. 147
Vance Criticized Medicare For All As A “Big Handout” To The Healthcare Sector ........ 147
VANCE EXPRESSED A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL VIEWS DURING THE COVID
PANDEMIC ............................................................................................................................ 147
Vance Criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer For Allowing Abortion Clinics To
Stay Open Under Her COVID-19 Lockdown Order .......................................................... 147
Vance Criticized Public Health Experts And Elected Officials For Supporting Black Lives
Matter Protests While Condemning Anti-Lockdown Protests............................................ 148
VANCE SUPPORTS PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION ACCESS .................. 149
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Vance Supported Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill......................................................................... 149

Vance Opposes Third-Trimester Abortions ........................................................................ 149
Vance Has Stated He Does Not Support Abortion Exceptions In The Case Of Rape........ 150
Vance Is Noted As Having Expressed That Divorce Is Too Common And That Women In
Violent Marriage Should Stay In Them For The Sake Of Their Children ......................... 151
VANCE HAS EXPRESSED CONTROVERSIAL VIEWS CONCERNING AMERICAN
UNIVERSITIES ..................................................................................................................... 154
Vance Accused Chinese Graduate Students Of “Conspir[ing] To Steal Our Intellectual
Property” ............................................................................................................................. 154
Vance Called For Penalizing Universities That Accept Donations From Foreign Counties
............................................................................................................................................. 154
In 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Stating “The Anti-Whiteness Movement, Mainstreamed
By American Universities And Corporations, Has Blood On Its Hands” .......................... 154
VANCE HAS PUSHED PSEUDO-CHRISTIAN VALUES ENCOURAGING THE
TRADITIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY ................................................................................. 155
Vance Has Called For Policies To Encourage Families To Have More Children ............. 155
VANCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT LAWS REQUIRING BUSINESSES TO CLOSE ON
SUNDAYS .............................................................................................................................. 156
Vance Seemingly Supports “Blue Laws,” Requiring Businesses To Close On Sundays ... 156
VANCE APPEARS TO OPPOSE THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA .................... 156
Vance Has Criticized Marijuana Legalization .................................................................... 156
However, Vance Previously Called On Republicans To “Get Serious” About The
Punishment Of Black Fathers For Marijuana Possession ................................................... 156
VANCE PUSHED TRUMP TO NOMINATE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE BRETT
KAVANAUGH TO THE SUPREME COURT ..................................................................... 157
Vance Wrote An Op-Ed In The Wall Street Journal Urging Trump To Select Brett
Kavanaugh For The Supreme Court ................................................................................... 157
Vance Signed A Public Letter Praising Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To The Supreme
Court ................................................................................................................................... 158
Vance Said That Kavanaugh’s Views On Constitutional Interpretation Were More
Important Than His Views On Specific Policy Issues ........................................................ 159
Vance Praised Kavanaugh’s Teaching Abilities And Predicted They Would Make Him A
Good Supreme Court Justice .............................................................................................. 160
Vance Defended Kavanaugh And His Supporters During The Confirmation Hearings .... 160
Usha Vance Clerked For Kavanaugh .................................................................................. 161
13
Notably, Vance Has Complained The Conservative Legal Movement Had Betrayed Social
Conservatives After A SCOTUS Ruling Against LGBT Workplace Discrimination ........ 161
VANCE HAS TAKEN A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL POSITIONS CONCERNING
RACE RELATIONS ............................................................................................................... 162
Vance Claimed The Protests Against Police Violence Following The Death Of George
Floyd Were Distractions From More Important Economic Issues ..................................... 162
Vance Has Been Accused Of Echoing White Supremacists With His Worries About
America’s Low Fertility Rate ............................................................................................. 163
A Separate Washington Post Op-Ed Attacked Vance For Alleged Comments Supporting
Benefits To “Our People” ................................................................................................... 164
VANCE HAS A TAKEN A SERIES OF OTHER CONTROVERSIAL POSITIONS ON
VARIOUS CULTURE WAR TOPICS .................................................................................. 164
Vance Criticized Prince Harry And Meghan Markle For “Complaining” Instead Of Having
“Gratitude” For Their Privilege .......................................................................................... 164
Vance Said Trump’s Fight With The NFL Over Kneeling Was A Political Win For Trump
............................................................................................................................................. 165
VANCE HAS TIES TO VARIOUS CONTROVERSIAL FIGURES ................................... 166
Steve Bannon Once Called For Vance To Become Head Of The Heritage Foundation .... 166
Vance Appears To Have Ties To Alex Jones ..................................................................... 166
VANCE’S ADDITIONAL PERSONAL AND POLITICAL FOIBLES ................................... 166
VANCE’S ‘OUR OHIO RENEWAL’ HAS BEEN HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED BY CRITICS
................................................................................................................................................. 166
Vance Founded Our Ohio Renewal – A Non-Profit With The Goal Of Combatting The
Opioid Epidemic And Improving Opportunity In Ohio ..................................................... 166
In 2019, Vance Maintained That Our Ohio Renewal Was Still Operational – Despite Its
Website Being Offline – And Said It Was Sponsoring A Residency For A Researcher In
Southern Ohio ..................................................................................................................... 169
Despite Its Stated Goals, Our Ohio Renewal Spent More Than 95 Percent Of Its 2017
Fundraising ......................................................................................................................... 171
Our Ohio Renewal Appears To Have Been Largely Defunct Since 2017 .......................... 171
Our Ohio Renewal Has A Sister Organization Which Has Never Raised More Than $50,000
In A Year............................................................................................................................. 171
Our Ohio Renewal Was Run By Both A Longtime Republican And A Friend Of Vance
Who Is Progressive ............................................................................................................. 171
VANCE’S TIME WORKING WITH ‘REVOLUTION LLC’ CREATES A SERIES OF
NOTABLE VULNERABILITIES WITH AMERICA-FIRST CONSERVATIVES............. 172
14
Vance Worked At Revolution LLC, A Firm Founded By Steve Case, The Founder Of AOL
............................................................................................................................................. 172
Steve Case Was A Vocal Supporter Of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign ........................ 173
Revolution Backed A Company Invested In By Former Democratic Presidential Candidate
John Delaney ....................................................................................................................... 173
Vance Was A Co-Worker Of Ron Klain, President Joe Biden’s Chief Of Staff ................ 174
Shortly After Vance Was Hired By Revolution, Case Came Out Against President Trump’s
Immigration Policies ........................................................................................................... 174
While Vance Was Employed By Revolution, Case Met With Trump ............................... 175
Revolution Backed DraftKings Which Operates Sports Gambling .................................... 175
Steve Case Sold His Virginia Home To Saudi Arabia For $43 Million ............................. 176
Case Was Part Of A Global Advisory Board For A Tourism Destination In Saudi Arabia
But Backed Out After The Killing Of Jamal Khashoggi .................................................... 176
VANCE WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH STEVE CASE’S ‘RISE OF THE REST’ FUND –
ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL ROLE ................................................................................ 177
Vance Was Part Of Steve Case’s Rise Of The Rest – An Initiative Backed By Wealthy Tech
Investors .............................................................................................................................. 177
Rise Of The Rest Invested In A Startup Founded By A Former Obama Official .............. 179
Rise Of The Rest Invested In Gig Wage, A Company That Assists With Moving Money
Within The Gig Economy ................................................................................................... 179
Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Various Companies Across The Country ......... 180
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ENJOYED A LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLE SINCE
BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR SEVERAL YEARS AGO .................................... 183
Since Publishing His Book, Vance Has Enjoyed Luxury Accommodations...................... 183
Vance Admits To Being A Member Of The Elite .............................................................. 183
Hypocritically, Vance Has Utilized Class-Based Politics .................................................. 183
VULNERABILITIES STEMMING FROM HILLBILLY ELEGY....................................... 184
Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Received Steady Criticism ........................................................... 184
VANCE’S TIES TO CIRCUIT THERAPEUTICS COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES
................................................................................................................................................. 188
Vance Worked For A Biotechnology Company That Received Federal Contracts ........... 188
VANCE’S TIES TO INNOVATE OHIO COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES ........... 188
Vance Served On The Advisory Board Of InnovateOhio .................................................. 188
VANCE’S TIES TO LED COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES ................................... 189
Vance Invested In An LED Greenhouse Project ................................................................ 189
15
VANCE’S TIES TO MITHRIL CAPITAL COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES ........ 189

After Law School, Vance Worked At A Law Firm And Then Became An Executive At A
Biotech Company. From There, He Left To Join Mithril Capital, An Investment Firm .... 189
The FBI Probed Mithril Capital, Vance’s Former Employer, Over Possible Financial
Misconduct .......................................................................................................................... 190
VANCE’S TIES TO NARYA CAPITAL COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES ........... 190
In 2020, Vance Started An Ohio-Based Venture Capital Fund – Narya Capital – With
Backers Including Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen And Eric Schmidt ................................. 190
One Of The Founding Partners Of Narya Was Falon Donohue, The Former CEO Of
VentureOhio ........................................................................................................................ 191
Narya Capital Invested In AcreTrader ................................................................................ 191
Vance And Narya Are Investors In Appharvest - A Startup Growing Produce In
Greenhouses In Appalachia ................................................................................................ 191
Narya Capital Invested In Kriya Therapeutics, A Company Located In The Bay Area Of
California And The Research Triangle Park In North Carolina ......................................... 193
Parler Attempted To Raise Capital From Narya Capital .................................................... 193
APPENDIX A: ISSUES OF NOTE (BY SUBJECT AREA) ..................................................... 194
FISCAL AND ECONOMIC ................................................................................................... 194
Overall – Commentary And Philosophy ............................................................................. 194
Taxes ................................................................................................................................... 199
Tax Cuts .............................................................................................................................. 200
Federal Funding .................................................................................................................. 201
Subsidies ............................................................................................................................. 205
Labor ................................................................................................................................... 205
Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................... 207
HEALTHCARE ...................................................................................................................... 210
Obamacare .......................................................................................................................... 210
COVID-19........................................................................................................................... 214
ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................................... 214
Climate Change – Commentary .......................................................................................... 214
EDUCATION ......................................................................................................................... 215
School Choice ..................................................................................................................... 215
IMMIGRATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE .............................................. 216
Immigration......................................................................................................................... 216
16
D.C. Criminal Code ............................................................................................................ 219

Miscellaneous – Crime ....................................................................................................... 220
FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENSE.................................................................................... 220
Overall................................................................................................................................. 220
Ukraine-Russia Conflict...................................................................................................... 221
Trump - Soleimani .............................................................................................................. 228
Iraq ...................................................................................................................................... 229
Israel .................................................................................................................................... 231
China ................................................................................................................................... 232
Ireland ................................................................................................................................. 232
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES .................................................................................... 233
Abortion .............................................................................................................................. 233
Race..................................................................................................................................... 238
Religion ............................................................................................................................... 238
POLITICAL ............................................................................................................................ 239
Trump .................................................................................................................................. 239
Republican Politicians – Notable Affiliations .................................................................... 253
Liberal Politicians – Notable Affiliations ........................................................................... 254
GOP Donors – Commentary ............................................................................................... 258
Libertarians – Commentary ................................................................................................ 261
Conservative Media – Commentary ................................................................................... 261
Campaign Notes - 2018 Campaign ..................................................................................... 262
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL .................................................................................... 265
Legal Career Notes ............................................................................................................. 265
Notable Residency History ................................................................................................. 269
17
EXECUTIVE SYNOPSIS
DOSSIER NOTES
In preparing this background report, we undertook an examination of all readily available and
relevant electronic and online records, several hundred Nexis and news articles, dozens of active
and archived web pages, and several dozen public records from Nexis and the resources of
various federal, state, and municipal government offices. The results of our analysis are
contained below.
Typographical Note: There are a number of articles quoted in this report that contain
typographical errors. These are from the original text of the article and have not been corrected
when being quoted directly.
POTENTIAL VULNERABILITIES
Potential Opposition Narrative - Anti-Trump Record And Establishment Ties
JD Vance's political journey has been 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.
Potential Opposition Narrative - Questionable Conservatism
JD Vance's political views display a nuanced landscape, revealing a range of positions that
traverse traditional party lines. While acknowledging the benefits of certain Democratic policies
for working-class Americans, Vance has been notably critical of aspects of the Trump
Administration's agenda. His skepticism extends to Trump's core domestic policy priorities,
expressing doubts about their effectiveness and seriousness in moving the country forward.
Vance diverged from Republican orthodoxy by criticizing the 2017 tax cuts bill and supporting
higher taxes on capital gains, U.S. businesses, and individuals without children.
18
In a departure from conservative economic principles, Vance has questioned the emphasis on
America's businesses, criticizing corporate interests and economic incentives for company
relocations. He has signaled support for strengthening labor unions, opposing right-to-work laws,
and advocating for reforms like sectoral bargaining and labor representation on corporate boards.
This stands in contrast to traditional free-market priorities, with Vance opposing Milton
Friedman-backed policies and emphasizing the nuclear family over free-market principles.
Vance's stances on healthcare reveal further deviations from the conservative playbook, as he
opposed the Trump Administration's efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare. Expressing
concern for those potentially losing access to healthcare, Vance urged against Medicaid cuts.On
environmental issues, Vance acknowledges climate concerns and dismisses the return of coal
jobs.
Vance also is known to have criticized Trump's border wall proposal and travel ban. He
attributes the border crisis to business interests seeking cheap labor, aligning with Trump's
rhetoric but diverging on some points.
19
TOP HITS
Political
Voting History & Party Affiliation
• Since 2018, Vance has failed to vote in at least four elections including the 2020 primary
elections.
• Vance was not a registered Republican Party voter in Hamilton County between
September 2018 and May 2022.
Lobbying Ties
• While not a lobbyist himself, Vance’s old law firm, Sidley Austin, lobbied on behalf of
several controversial clients during his tenure with the company.
o Between 2014 and 2015, Sidley Austin lobbied on behalf of Purdue Pharma, the
maker of OxyContin, who has paid billions of dollars in criminal and civil
penalties related to the opioid epidemic.
o Between 2014 and 2015, Sidley Austin lobbied on behalf of multiple Chinese
Communist Party-affiliated companies including Alibaba and Kaisa Group.
 In 2020, Alibaba, is a Chinese company which operates e-commerce
platforms, was named by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a company
Pompeo urged American companies to remove from their digital
networks.
 Kaisa Group is a Chinese real estate firm that was probed over alleged
links to a former state official involved in a graft investigation.
Anti-Trump Record And Establishment Ties
2016 Campaign
• Vance was opposed to Trump’s candidacy during the 2016 election.
o As early as august 2016, Vance had announced his intention to vote third party as
opposed to voting for Trump.
o Vance was accused of “effectively” voting for Hillary Clinton.
o During the campaign and after the election, Vance doubted Trump’s ability to be
effective in office.
o Vance criticized Trump’s statements and policy proposals.
o Vance said Trump’s election would be “terrible for the country”.
o Vance compared Trump to heroin and mocked MAGA as a “quick high”.
• During the 2016 campaign, Vance was described as a ‘never Trumper’.
20
o In an October 2016 appearance on “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance declared he

was “a never Trump guy” and “never liked him”.
o Vance claimed there was a “willingness from people who think a lot like I do” to
say Trump was “going to be a terrible candidate” and “that you were an idiot if
you voted for him”.
o Vance said Trump was not the best candidate for white-working class voters.
• During the 2016 campaign, Vance indicated he believed the women who accused Trump
of sexual assault.
o In 2016, Vance indicated he believed one of Trump’s sexual-assault accusers over
Trump and mocked Trump for not telling the truth.
o In 2016, it was reported that Vance tweeted “what percentage of the American
population has @RealDonaldTrump sexually assaulted?”
• During the 2016 campaign, Vance linked racism and xenophobia to Trump’s base of
support.
o In 2016, Vance said people who “might be described as if not as racist at least as
expressing some sort of racial resentment” were supporting Trump.
o In 2016, Vance said, “there are people who are drawn to Trump because he says
racially insensitive things”.
o In 2018, Vance was still an opponent of Trump, citing his race-related policies.
• Vance has suggested there was no sign of voter fraud in the 2016 election.
General Criticism
• Vance once implied that Trump is prone to lying.
o In 2017, Vance criticized Trump for saying “half-truths or lies” so frequently
“that you stop actually taking the president literally.
• Vance appeared to be critical of Trump’s comments surrounding the events in
Charlottesville.
o Following the Charlottesville protests, Vance said Trump “really missed an
opportunity to name this phenomenon and gives people a sense where it comes
from and show the moral leadership people want from a president”.
o Vance said Trump was “ambivalent or too cautious about coming out and
criticizing” racism and Nazism.
o Vance said Trump failing to unite the country following Charlottesville was a
“missed opportunity”.
21
• Early in the Trump Administration, Vance indicated Trump was failing on his legislative
priorities.
o In 2017, Vance said, “I think you hear from a lot of different people if you’re on
the ground in these areas talking to people is a broad recognition that things aren’t
going fantastically well right now” regarding Trump’s legislative priorities.
o Vance: “A bigger problem, I think, is the feeling that the big pushes that the
president has really made on health care, on some of these other issues, haven’t
really materialized”.
o Vance noted there was a “sense that the President just isn’t able to deliver”.
2020 Election
• Vance, at times, appeared dismissive of efforts to highlight fraud in the 2020 election.
o After the 2020 election, Vance said people questioning the 2020 election results
would not become violent and also said Biden would be inaugurated.
Additional Anti-Trump Ties
• Vance served with the American Enterprise Institute – an organization with ties to Trump
criticism.
• Vance is an alum of the website formerly run by David Frum - a known never Trumper .
• Vance has ties to various additional Trump-antagonists.
o Vance has said he is “good friends” with Mike DeWine.
o Vance has previous ties to notorious Trump critic John Kasich.
o Vance previously supported notorious Trump critic John McCain.
Liberal Tendencies And Ties
• Vance has been previously described as a moderate with Democrat tendencies.
o In 2016, Vance said, “I’m frankly not a libertarian in the sense that I think
government has no role in fixing” societal problems.
o In 2017, the American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner said that at a recent conference
he attended with Vance, Vance “sounded almost like a Democrat”.
o In 2017, Vance was described as a “moderate Republican”.
• Vance previously heaped praise upon Hillary Clinton.
o Vance praised the 2016 Democratic National Convention while criticizing the
Republican Convention.
22
o Vance said there was a chance he would vote for Clinton if Trump had a chance
to win.
o In an op-ed, Vance recalled a time in his life when he “admired President
Clinton”.
• Vance has previously heaped praise upon Barack Obama.
o Vance has praised Obama for offering “hope” and said he would “miss him” as
Obama was leaving office.
o Vance characterized Obama’s “guns and religion” comment as “well-
intentioned”.
• Vance has praised democratic-socialist Bernie Sanders.
o Vance said Bernie Sanders was his favorite Democrat running in the 2020
Democrat primary.
o Vance predicted that Trump was part of a political realignment that would
position Trump and Bernie Sanders on the same side in 20 years.
Biden-2016 Comment
• Vance appears to have once indicated that Joe Biden could have beat Trump in 2016.
Current
• Following the end of Trump’s Presidency, Vance praised Trump’s policy and was an
active supporter of his 2020 re-election.
o Vance in 2021: I “ultimately pulled the trigger and encouraged a lot of my friends
to … pull the lever for Donald Trump in 2020”.
o Vance: “I was really happy with the policy. And so, that’s what caused me to
become a Trump supporter”.
o Vance has attacked Trump’s ban from social media outlets.
o Vance blasted calls from Democrats to hold former Trump Administration
officials accountable after he left office.
Questionable Conservatism
Overall – Economic, Societal
• Vance once admitted that working class Americans benefit from Democrat-policies.
• Vance once criticized Trump’s “core domestic policy priorities”.
o In 2017, Vance reflected on Trump’s “core domestic policy priorities,” claiming it
was “not looking especially good right now”.
23
o Vance: “I just don't see the evidence that we're being serious about the policies
that are necessary to move the country forward yet”.
Fiscal And Business
• Vance was critical of the Trump Administration’s 2017 Tax Cuts Bill.
o In 2018, Vance criticized republicans for living in the 1980s with the party’s tax
and health care reform policies.
o Vance criticized republicans for cutting taxes for the wealthy and cutting the
social safety net.
o In 2019, Vance criticized the 2017 tax reform law as “ok, it wasn’t terrible, but it
wasn’t great”.
o It should be noted that Vance was also critical of the Bush-era tax cuts.
• Vance has expressed support for increasing the capital gains tax rate.
• Vance has called to raise taxes on U.S. businesses in certain circumstances.
• Vance appears to support higher taxes for individuals without children.
• Vance has somewhat flip-flopped on cuts to the federal budget.
o In 2017, Vance warned that GOP budget cuts were evidence that Trump and
Republicans in Congress were not focused on “core constituencies”.
o In 2017, Vance noted he supports using government spending to solve social
problems.
o However, Vance supported the 2011 Ryan budget.
• Vance has previously signaled support for distorting the free-market with federal
subsidies.
• Vance has questioned conservatives prioritizing America’s businesses.
o Vance previously criticized conservatives for prizing corporate interests.
o Vance criticized the practice of offering economic incentives to companies to
relocate.
• Vance has indicated he supported union priorities over that of American business.
o Vance previously indicated he opposes right-to-work laws.
o Vance has criticized GOP donors for pushing antagonism toward unions.
o Vance signed onto a report calling for reforms to greatly strengthen labor unions.
24
o Vance and other signers of the report called for conservatives to consider allowing
sectoral bargaining, works councils, and requiring seats for labor representatives
on corporate boards.
• Vance has been critical of free-market economic priority.
o Vance opposes Milton Friedman-backed economic policies.
o Vance has called for prioritizing the American “nuclear family” over free market
principles.
• Vance worked as a contributor for a think tank that expressed skepticism of Trump’s
America First trade agenda.
• Early during the Trump Administration, Vance questioned whether Trump should be
credited for the booming economy.
• Opponents could suggest Vance is hypocritical for his criticism of ‘big tech’.
Healthcare
• Vance opposed the Trump Administration’s efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare.
o In 2017, Vance criticized Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare
under President Trump, claiming he doesn’t “love the plan at all”.
o Vance warned that the people who would “lose out most” in the GOP-led
Obamacare replacement bill are the ones who voted for Donald Trump.
o Vance: “Those folks, they very well see their deductibles go up, their premiums
go up. … there's obviously a significant issue of folks potentially losing access to
their health care”.
o Vance claimed “folks back home” were worried about the GOP-led Obamacare
reforms and “about losing the Medicaid expansion and most worried about losing
their health care”.
o Vance warned that the bill suffered from “core deficiencies,” claiming “millions
of people” were “losing health coverage either through Medicaid or through
another mechanism”.
o Vance urged Sen. Rob Portman to vote against the House-passed bill to repeal and
replace Obamacare due to its Medicaid cuts and tax cuts.
o Vance: “I don’t understand why that is such a focus of the House Bill. … don’t
have a health bill and use it to cut taxes”.
Education And Environmental
• Vance has previously indicated some hesitation concerning school choice initiatives.
25
• Vance has expressed support for aspects of the left’s extremist climate agenda.
o Vance previously suggested the U.S. has “a climate problem”.
o Vance previously acknowledged that coal jobs are not coming back.
o Vance previously said natural gas would not take us to a clean energy future.
Immigration
• Vance was critical of Trump’s suggestion to build a U.S. southern border wall.
• Vance was critical of Trump’s proposed travel ban.
• Vance previously blamed U.S. businesses on the border crisis.
o In march 2021, Vance wrote that the “masters of the universe” and the need for
“cheap foreign labor” resulted in the border crisis.
o Vance said illegal immigration is “about money” and cheap labor for business
leaders.
o Vance said “we should take a page from President Trump's playbook and call this
what it is” despite accusations from some that it is racist to criticize Biden’s
immigration policies.
Social And Cultural Issues
• Vance has previously taken positions that undermine the religious-right.
o Vance attacked 2012 GOP candidates for missing “the mark” on evolution.
o Vance criticized GOP presidential candidates opposed to the Federal Marriage
Amendment, which he said would rip “apart new families”.
Foreign Policy
• Vance criticized the Trump administration for the airstrike that killed Qasem Soleimani.
o In 2020, Vance criticized President Trump’s airstrike killing Iranian General
Qasem Soleimani, worrying it would continue to bog down America in the
Middle East to the advantage of China.
o Vance suggested that the country had been entangled in wars in the Middle East
so “financial elites” could profit from the rise of China.
• Vance has made controversial remarks concerning Chinese patriotism.
o Vance previously claimed that Chinese nationals were more patriotic than U.S.
nationals.
• Vance appears to have flip-flopped on his support for the Iraq war.
26
• Vance appears to have embraced non-interventionism.

• Vance has been one of the chief obstructionists to U.S. efforts to providing assistance to
Ukraine.
Notable Vulnerabilities With Moderates
Policy
• Vance has taken a populist view on global free trade agreements.
o Vance supports trade policies “different” from free trade.
o Vance opposed completely unwinding trade agreements, noting the “factories still
aren’t coming back”.
o Vance has criticized the idea that bad trade deals—including with countries like
China—were to blame for job losses.
o Vance: “It's not that we have this terrible trade deal with China. It's just that a lot
of things.
• Vance appears to have once called for slashing Social Security and Medicare.
• Vance is opposed to providing childcare assistance to low income Americans.
o Vance opposed Biden’s plan to expand child care to low- and moderate-income
families.
o After his wife gave birth to their first child, Vance was living in Columbus while
his wife lived in Washington, D.C. with her mother.
• Vance appears to oppose student loan forgiveness programs.
o Vance criticized student loan debt forgiveness proposals.
o However, Vance indicated support for Hillary Clinton’s free-college plan.
• Vance is opposed to expanding healthcare access to all Americans.
• Vance expressed a series of controversial views during the Covid pandemic.
o Vance criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for allowing abortion
clinics to stay open under her Covid-19 lockdown order.
o Vance criticized public health experts and elected officials for supporting Black
Lives Matter protests while condemning anti-lockdown protests.
• Vance supports placing restrictions on abortion access.
o Vance supported Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill.
o Vance opposes third-trimester abortions.
27
o Vance has stated he does not support abortion exceptions in the case of rape.
Social And Cultural Issues
• Vance has expressed controversial views concerning American universities.
• Vance has pushed pseudo-Christian values encouraging the traditional nuclear family.
• Vance appears to support laws requiring businesses to close on Sundays.
• Vance appears to oppose the legalization of marijuana.
• Vance pushed Trump to nominate controversial figure Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme
Court.
• Vance has taken a series of controversial positions concerning race relations.
• Vance has a taken a series of other controversial positions on various culture war topics.
o Vance criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for “complaining” instead of
having “gratitude” for their privilege.
o Vance said Trump’s fight with the NFL over kneeling was a political win for
Trump.
• Vance has ties to various controversial figures.
o Steve Bannon once called for Vance to become head of the Heritage Foundation.
o Vance appears to have ties to Alex Jones.
28
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PERSONAL INFORMATION: J.D. VANCE
Full Name: James David “J.D.” Vance
Formerly: James Donald Bowman
DOB:
Social Security: - -
Home Address:
( - .)
Additional Property:
, .
( - .)
Marital Status: Married
Partner: Usha Bala Vance (née Chilukuri)
Children: Three
Voter Registration: Registered Republican – , Ohio
Education: 2010 – 2013 J.D., Yale Law School

2007 – 2009 B.A., Political Science & Philosophy, Ohio State
University
Employment: 2023 – Pres. Senator, U.S. Senate, Ohio

2019 – 2023 Co-Founder/Parter, Narya
2017 – 2019 Partner, Revolution LLC (Rise of the Rest)
2016 – 2017 Principal, Mithril Capital
2013 – 2015 Attorney, Sidley Austin LLP
2003 – 2007 Marine, U.S. Marine Corps
Associations: Former Editor, Yale Law Journal

Former President, Yale Law Veterans Association
Military Service: 2003 – 2007 U.S. Marine Corps
29
Election Results: 2022 U.S. Senate, Ohio (General, Won)
Web Sites: https://jdvance.com/

https://www.vance.senate.gov/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.harpercollins.com/
https://ballotpedia.org/
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/
Social Media: Facebook (Personal)

Facebook (Campaign)
Facebook (Official)
Twitter (Campaign)
Instagram (Personal)
Instagram (Campaign)
Instagram (Official)
YouTube (Campaign)
YouTube (Official)
LinkedIn (Personal)
Email:
Phone:
30
ELECTION RESULTS
J.D. Vance has been serving in the U.S. Senate from Ohio since winning his 2022 campaign.
2022 General Election, U.S. Senate, Ohio

General Election Results (November 8, 2022)
Candidate Party Vote Total
J.D. Vance REP 2,192,114
Tim Ryan DEM 1,939,489
(Official Election Results, Federal Election Commission, 11/8/22)
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Since 2023, J.D. Vance has received an aggregate of $1,574,894.48 in total contributions for his
re-election campaign. Vance transferred more than $160,000 from his fundraising committee
and has also received hundreds of thousands of dollars from special interest groups including
the National Association of Convenience Stores and the National Automobile Dealers
Association. Vance has also received funding from corporations such as SpaceX, Honeywell, and
Comcast. It should also be noted that Vance has accepted funding from Republican PACs and
groups who may be considered out-of-touch with the current party, like Mitch McConnell and
the Susan B. Anthony List. Further, Vance has begun to pay himself back for the loans he gave to
his 2022 campaign, disbursing $700,000 in 2022 and an additional $614,500 in 2023.
In 2022, Vance received an aggregate of $15,994,977.29 in total contributions for his campaign
for the U.S. Senate. Vance personally loaned his campaign $1.4 million and received similarly
large contributions from Republican-aligned committees including the RNC, the NRSC, and the
Republican Jewish Coalition. Vance additionally received large contributions from corporations
such as Altria, Nextera, and Marathon Petroleum. Of note, Vance received funding from
establishment PACs and groups such as Koch Industries, as well as the leadership PACs of Roy
Blunt, Lindsey Graham, and Mike Huckabee. It should also be noted that Vance has received
thousands of dollars from individuals with a history of anti-Trump rhetoric like Ken Griffen and
Paul Singer.
Individually, Vance has contributed an aggregate of $15,325 to federal and statewide campaign
committees. Federally, Vance contributed $11,255, giving to various Republicans from Ohio
including Rob Portman and Max Miller, as well as other prominent Republicans across the
country such as Blake Masters and Joe Kent. At the state level, Vance has contributed $4,100 to
campaign committees in the state of Ohio, giving it entirely to Sharon Kennedy’s campaign for
the Ohio Supreme Court.
31
JD Vance For Senate (2028)

Notable Contributions
Since 2023, Vance Has Received An Aggregate Of $1,574,894.48 In Total Contributions For
His Campaign For U.S. Senate. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
Recipient Aggregate Amount YTD
VANCE VICTORY $160,426.51
OHIOANS FOR JD $13,166.99
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CONVENIENCE $10,000.00
STORES
BOOTS POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $10,000.00
HILL, VERNON $6,777.50
SORIANO, JOHN D. $6,600.00
SAAD, HENRY B. MR. $6,600.00
SAAD, MARA LETICA MRS. $6,600.00
MOSING, GREG $6,600.00
KAY, ALISON $6,600.00
ARMSTRONG, BRIAN $6,600.00
BAKER, DANIEL L. MR. $6,600.00
WITKOFF, ZACHARY D. $6,500.00
OUSTERHOUT, DOUGLAS $6,000.00
DIXON, KENNETH $6,000.00
KLEIN, RUSSELL B. MR. $5,800.00
STEER PAC $5,000.00
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP. $5,000.00
PAC
US ENERGY OF PAC (THE PAC OF AXPC) $5,000.00
SCHNEIDER NATIONAL INC. TRANSPAC $5,000.00
VERN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE $5,000.00
TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION FEDERAL
PAC $5,000.00
TZEDEK PAC $5,000.00
STRATEGY PAC $5,000.00
RECLAIM AMERICA PAC $5,000.00
POLITICAL EDUCATION PATTERNS $5,000.00
ROBICHAUD, KAREN A. $5,000.00
NATIONAL AUTOMOBILE DEALERS
ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000.00
R SENATE PAC $5,000.00
NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000.00
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY FUND $5,000.00
OBERHEIDEN, NICK MR. $5,000.00
ROBINSON, ROBERT S. MR. SR. $5,000.00
MORTGAGE BANKERS ASSOCIATION
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (MORPAC) $5,000.00
NACD RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTION PAC $5,000.00
LODGE, JOHN WILLIAM MR. III $5,000.00
LETS GET TO WORK PAC $5,000.00
MARSHA PAC $5,000.00
32

HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL PAC $5,000.00
KOHLHEPP, BRENT A. MR. $5,000.00
BUSKIRK, CHRISTOPHER $5,000.00
AMERICAN OPTOMETRIC ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000.00
COMCAST CORPORATION & NBCUNIVERSAL
PAC $5,000.00
ALABAMA FIRST PAC $5,000.00
1890 PAC $5,000.00
ASSOCIATION OF KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
FRANCHISEES PAC $5,000.00
CMR PAC $5,000.00
CONTINUING AMERICA'S STRENGTH &
SECURITY PAC $5,000.00
COMMON VALUES PAC $5,000.00
CULAC THE PAC OF CREDIT UNION NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION $5,000.00
AMERICAN EXCELLENCE $5,000.00
BLUEGRASS COMMITTEE $5,000.00
DAVIDSON, LUTHER $5,000.00
SUSAN B. ANTHONY LIST INC. CANDIDATE
FUND (DBA SUSAN B. ANTHONY PRO-LIFE
AMERICA $4,976.66
BLUEPAC-BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD
ASSOCIATION PAC $4,500.00
NATIONAL CATTLEMEN'S BEEF ASSOCIATION
POLITICAL ACTION COMMI $4,000.00
PORK PAC $4,000.00
ROBICHAUD, LOUIS RENE $3,700.00
CIACCIO, JANE $3,544.47
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS
POLITICAL ACTION COMMIT $3,500.00
RANGER PAC $3,500.00
KOBELT, JOHN C. MR. $3,500.00
CALFEE FUND FOR GOOD GOVERNMENT $3,500.00
SHOR, CHARLES $3,435.35
WALTERS, ROBERT D. MR. JR. $3,300.00
MOUNTAINEER PAC $3,300.00
PACK, STEVE $3,300.00
PROTECT OHIO VALUES PAC $3,300.00
MCKEE, JACK C. $3,300.00
HANNA, DAVID G. $3,300.00
MAKOWSKI, BRUCE $3,222.64
POGUE, RICHARD W. MR. $3,100.00
MCFADDEN, CAROL $3,000.00
COUDURES, JOHN $3,000.00
SORIANO, MARY $2,900.00
YOUNG, DONALD $2,900.00
SHAW, BRYAN $2,900.00
ZARTLER, BILL $2,900.00
TOEWS, ROBERT G. $2,900.00
33

TOLLETT, DOUGLAS J. MR. $2,900.00
SCULLIN, REBECCA A. MRS. $2,900.00
TERREBLANCHE, ANITA $2,900.00
PETERSEN, DAVID $2,900.00
PATEL, DIPAL $2,900.00
ROBINSON, ROBERT G. MR. JR. $2,900.00
MILANO, CONSTANTINO $2,900.00
MILLER, DEBBIE $2,900.00
OETERS, GAYLE $2,900.00
JOHNSON, TRAVIS $2,900.00
MCLEAN, STEPHEN M. $2,900.00
KEYCORP ADVOCATES FUND-FEDERAL $2,900.00
HUGIN, ROBERT $2,900.00
MCLEAN, AIMEE E. $2,900.00
KOHLHEPP, SCOTT M. MR. $2,900.00
DESKINS, CHAD $2,900.00
ESTABROOK, ANNE E. MS. $2,900.00
HILL, DAVID R. MR. $2,900.00
HANNA, FRANK MR. $2,900.00
DUNN, MICHEAL $2,900.00
(Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
NOTE: The above table contains the aggregate contributions from the top 100 contributors to
J.D. Vance’s 2028 campaign for the United States Senate. A full list of the total amount of
contributors can be found here.
Notable Expenditures
Since 2023, Vance Has Disbursed An Aggregate Of $1,929,395.95 For His Campaign For
President. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
• Since 2023, Vance Has Repaid Himself $614,500 For His 2022 Loan. (Federal Election
Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
o In 2022, Vance Repaid Himself $700,000. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed

2/23/24)
JD Vance For Senate (2022)

Notable Contributions
In 2022, Vance Received An Aggregate Of $15,994,977.29 In Total Contributions For His
Campaigns For U.S. Senate. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
Recipient Aggregate Amount
OHIOANS FOR JD $2,092,201.71
VANCE VICTORY $2,074,488.89
VANCE, J.D. $1,400,000.00
CORNYN VICTORY COMMITTEE $152,250.26
TAKE BACK THE SENATE $118,856.50
WIN THE SENATE 2022 $101,153.47
34

OH SENATE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FUND 2022 $90,769.41
NRSC $51,200.00
RNC OHIO VICTORY $45,607.55
BUDD VANCE VICTORY FUND $43,991.95
REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION-POLITICAL $34,831.30
ACTION COMMITTEE (RJC)
2022 FOUNDERS COMMITTEE $27,988.78
MASTERS VANCE COMMITTEE $27,383.90
NORPAC $25,500.00
STOCK, JOHN $20,700.00
LAXALT VANCE VICTORY COMMITTEE $19,665.98
WILLIAMS, ANGELA $12,532.67
TIMBIE, THOMAS $11,600.00
WAMPOLD, MILFORD $11,600.00
LAKONISHOK, JOSEF $11,600.00
HEAPHY, MICHAEL $11,600.00
HASLAM, JAMES $11,600.00
CLARKE, TIMOTHY $11,600.00
BURGESS, LEE ANN $11,600.00
BENSON, BRUCE $11,600.00
MOORE, MARY $11,500.00
PECK, JOHN $11,300.00
RUBIN, STEVEN $10,970.00
LONG, CHARLES $10,800.00
CAMPBELL, MARTHA $10,700.00
BENYO, ALEX $10,600.00
YARED, PETER $10,000.00
TRUE NORTH PAC $10,000.00
STEER PAC $10,000.00
SENATE EAGLE PAC $10,000.00
PROMOTING OUR REPUBLICAN TEAM PAC $10,000.00
RECLAIM AMERICA PAC $10,000.00
NATIONAL ASSOC. OF WHOLESALER- $10,000.00
DISTRIBUTORS PAC
PELICAN PAC $10,000.00
MCCONNELL, JOHN $10,000.00
MARSHA PAC $10,000.00
MITCHELL, REGINA $10,000.00
LEAD ENCOURAGE ELECT PAC $10,000.00
FIGHTING FOR MISSOURI PAC $10,000.00
COMMON VALUES PAC $10,000.00
BLUE AND GOLD FUND $10,000.00
WALTON, JOHN $9,705.00
DORNAU, PETER $9,500.00
HOWE, DEBBIE $9,375.00
CLARKE, SUE $9,200.00
CLARKE, SUE A. MRS. $9,200.00
BURTON, JACK $9,195.00
LATHREM, DOUGLAS $9,000.00
35

WOLF, STEPHEN $8,700.00
ROSEN, DEAN $8,700.00
ROBERTSON, JAMES $8,700.00
PERZ, KEVIN $8,700.00
KANE, JOHN $8,700.00
HOLMES, THOMAS $8,700.00
GODFREY, JASON $8,700.00
ANDERSON, CHARLES $8,700.00
CAFARO, JOHN $8,500.00
KAESGEN, DIETER $8,385.00
JOHNSON, JAMES $8,182.00
WOLF, THOMAS $7,900.00
SUSAN B. ANTHONY LIST CANDIDATE FUND $7,900.00
REPUBLICAN JEWISH COALITION-POLITICAL $7,803.27
ACTION COMMITTEE (RJC-PAC)
EMOFF, MICHAEL $7,800.00
STEARS, GEORGE $7,500.00
POPACK, JOSEPH $7,500.00
TALBOTT, DOUG $7,400.00
BUCKLEY, CLAIRE $7,295.00
YOUNG, JAMES $7,023.33
VSS & P FED PAC $7,000.00
GOTTEMOELLER, RUSSELL $6,900.00
HALPERN, JACK $6,900.00
COPELAND, LAMMOT $6,900.00
SWAN JR, FORREST $6,800.00
CODY, HARVEY $6,800.00
ADAMS, MICHAEL $6,411.11
EVANS, JAMES $6,346.00
TRIPLETT, MICHAEL $6,300.00
KONTRAS, NICK $6,300.00
LYDEN, PAUL $6,250.00
MCDONALD, ROBERT $6,050.00
WEDDING, BRYAN $6,000.00
HANSEN, MICHAEL $6,000.00
KELLY, SUZANNE $5,928.90
TAYLOR, KENNETH $5,900.00
PETROS, SAM $5,900.00
COWIE, CHRISTOPHER $5,900.00
TRAN, JAKE $5,800.00
WILLLIAMS, CHRIS MRS. $5,800.00
WILLIAMS, DEVIN $5,800.00
THALER, JOHN $5,800.00
THALER, BONNIE $5,800.00
WRIGHT, ALEX $5,800.00
WYNN, STEPHEN $5,800.00
UIHLEIN, ELIZABETH A. $5,800.00
WEBER, SCOTT $5,800.00
UPHAM, PHIN $5,800.00
36

WESTRICK, GLENN $5,800.00
VINCZE, CHRISTOPHER $5,800.00
WILLIAMS, MATTHEW $5,800.00
VINCZE, JANET $5,800.00
WILLLIAMS, DAVID MR. $5,800.00
VONTZ, MARGARET $5,800.00
TERREBLANCHE, BEN $5,800.00
TANNER, DOUGLAS $5,800.00
WYNN, ANDREA $5,800.00
ZERBE, JOHN $5,800.00
YASTREBENETSKY, ALEXANDER $5,800.00
TATUM, JOHN $5,800.00
WARNER, GERALDINE $5,800.00
ZIMMERMAN, TIM $5,800.00
SMUCKER, TIM $5,800.00
SORIANO, JOHN D. $5,800.00
ROOT, HOWARD C. $5,800.00
ROBINSON, ROBERT S. SR. $5,800.00
SAUNDERS, JORDAN $5,800.00
SOMMER, LORRAINE $5,800.00
SUMEREL, CRAIG MR. $5,800.00
STEARNS, MICHAEL R. $5,800.00
ROBICHAUD, RENE J. MS. $5,800.00
ROBERTSON, SCOTT $5,800.00
STUHLREYER, JENNIFER $5,800.00
ROBINSON, CARLENE $5,800.00
STUHLREYER, MARK $5,800.00
SIBCY, ROBERT $5,800.00
SMUCKER, JENNIFER $5,800.00
SHEANSHANG, MARCUS $5,800.00
SEXTON, G. MARLYNE MS. $5,800.00
PSAROS, MICHAEL $5,800.00
MURDOCK, JULIE $5,800.00
REYNOLDS, MERCER $5,800.00
OETERS, DONALD $5,800.00
PROGNER, ROBERT O. MR. $5,800.00
MOSING, GREG $5,800.00
RABAR, PAUL $5,800.00
MOSKOWITZ, CHERNA $5,800.00
PIKE, ROBERT $5,800.00
RICCI, TONY $5,800.00
POPOLO, JOE $5,800.00
PALOMINO, QUYNH NHU $5,800.00
MUELLER, LINDA $5,800.00
RILEY, KAREN $5,800.00
QAZI, MOHAMMAD $5,800.00
RICART, RHETT $5,800.00
NEVELL, MICHAEL $5,800.00
MURDOCK, JOHN C. MR. $5,800.00
37

OAKS, KENNETH $5,800.00
PHILLIPS, ANGELA $5,800.00
O'SCANNLAIN, KATE $5,800.00
LINDNER, EDYTH $5,800.00
LINDNER, S. $5,800.00
LEO, LEONARD $5,800.00
LISKA, PAUL $5,800.00
MERCER, REBEKAH $5,800.00
LLOYD, ALEXANDER $5,800.00
LINDNER, MARTHA S. MS. $5,800.00
LOJEK, JOSEPH $5,800.00
MCCLELLAN, MICHAEL $5,800.00
LINDNER, CARL $5,800.00
MCNAMARA, KEVIN J. $5,800.00
MOLL, FREDERIC $5,800.00
MCNAMARA, NATHAN $5,800.00
MOKHBERY, JAVAD $5,800.00
MILLER, JEFFREY $5,800.00
LOQUERCIO, ROBERT $5,800.00
LINDNER, FRANCES $5,800.00
LUCKEY, PALMER $5,800.00
LORNE, SIMON $5,800.00
KOHLHEPP, M. $5,800.00
KLEKAMP, PETER C. MR. $5,800.00
HEIDT, JULIE $5,800.00
HOFER, PAUL $5,800.00
HUCK, EUGENE $5,800.00
KIRBY, TODD M. $5,800.00
IACOVELLI, KAREN $5,800.00
KNOWLES, HARVEY $5,800.00
JAMES, JERRY $5,800.00
JURGENSEN, PAUL $5,800.00
JAMES, RHONDA $5,800.00
KASSOUF, JAMES $5,800.00
JOHNS, GARY D. $5,800.00
KIMMELMAN, DOUGLAS $5,800.00
JOHNS, PEGGY $5,800.00
KLEKAMP, LAURA $5,800.00
JOHNSON, MATT $5,800.00
KNOTT, VIRGINIA C. MS. $5,800.00
JOHNSON, WHITNEY $5,800.00
KOHLHEPP, BRENT $5,800.00
JOSEPH, GEORGE $5,800.00
JOSEPH, GREGORY $5,800.00
HERR, HEATHER $5,800.00
FALLANG, ETHAN $5,800.00
GROTE, THOMAS $5,800.00
GROTE, LISA $5,800.00
FRANKLIN, LARRY $5,800.00
38

FRANKLIN, CHARLOTTE $5,800.00
FARMER, MARY $5,800.00
GRAY, C. BOYDEN $5,800.00
FARMER, SCOTT $5,800.00
GROTE, NANCY $5,800.00
HASLAM, SUSAN $5,800.00
HAHN, EDWARD $5,800.00
HATFIELD, EDWARD $5,800.00
FELIX, ROBERT $5,800.00
GERHARDT, CHARLES $5,800.00
FRIENDS OF JOHN THUNE $5,800.00
CATSIMATIDIS, JOHN $5,800.00
CRAWFORD, EDWARD $5,800.00
CIONGOLI, GREG $5,800.00
CANIZARO, JOSEPH $5,800.00
CASTELLINI, ROBERT $5,800.00
COVELLI, SAMUEL A. $5,800.00
COLETTI, ROBERT $5,800.00
CRAFT, JOE $5,800.00
CRAWFORD, MARY MARKLEY $5,800.00
CHAMBERS, JOHN $5,800.00
DALEY, CLAYTON $5,800.00
CASTELLINI, SUSAN $5,800.00
DAVIS, ANNE $5,800.00
DAVIS, MARTIN $5,800.00
DE NICOLA, ANTHONY $5,800.00
COOPER, JAMES $5,800.00
DEMETRIADES, JIM $5,800.00
BORTZ, MARY SUSAN MRS. $5,800.00
BAKER, DANIEL L. MR. $5,800.00
ATHAS, TERRY $5,800.00
BURKE, MARY JO $5,800.00
ARNHOLT, CYNTHIA $5,800.00
BORTZ, CHRISTOPHER $5,800.00
BYRNE, KERRY $5,800.00
BABCOX, WILLIAM $5,800.00
BRADFORD, BRYAN $5,800.00
BUCKLEY, WALTER W. MR. JR. $5,800.00
ADDISON, SHANNON MRS. $5,800.00
ALI, ARVID $5,800.00
ADDISON, JOHN MR. $5,800.00
BURKE, PATRICK $5,800.00
BUSCH, TIMOTHY MR. $5,800.00
ARNHOLT, DAVID $5,800.00
ANTAR, ANDREW MR. $5,800.00
BLUMENTHAL, WILLIAM $5,800.00
CAGLE, LEAH $5,800.00
BERRY, JOHN $5,800.00
CAMPBELL, DAVID $5,800.00
39

BISHOP, STEVE $5,700.00
VIGO, JUDITH $5,695.00
NIEDERMAN, ROBERT $5,600.00
KLINGENSTEIN, THOMAS $5,600.00
SHEAKLEY, LARRY $5,550.00
POHLER, SUE $5,535.00
MALIK, OMEED MR. $5,520.71
HART, VICKI $5,400.00
CIACCIO, JANE $5,396.50
FITZHUGH, GRAYSON $5,300.00
LEWIS, JEFFREY $5,200.00
COLLINS, LANCE $5,150.00
STEVENSON, CHARLENE $5,114.95
HUGIN, KATHLEEN $5,030.00
LETICA, ANTON $5,029.00
WEAVER, ELIZABETH $5,025.00
WILD WONDERFUL PAC $5,000.00
U.S. ISRAEL PAC $5,000.00
VALERO PAC $5,000.00
WILLSEY, KEVIN D. MR. $5,000.00
WOOLPERT INC. PAC $5,000.00
TRAVELERS COMPANIES INC. PAC $5,000.00
TOMORROW IS MEANINGFUL PAC $5,000.00
TRUCKING PAC OF THE AMERICAN TRUCKING $5,000.00
ASSOC. INC.
WECK, THOMAS $5,000.00
WILLSEY, DELIA A. MRS. $5,000.00
WELLS PAC $5,000.00
THOMPAC $5,000.00
WINNOVEMBER PAC $5,000.00
WELSH, G. $5,000.00
TENNESSE TOUGH PAC $5,000.00
WESTERN ENERGY ALLIANCE PAC $5,000.00
TEAPARTYEXPRESS.ORG $5,000.00
UPPER HAND FUND $5,000.00
UPSPAC $5,000.00
STEEL PAC $5,000.00
ROBIN, DAN A. JR. $5,000.00
STRATEGY PAC $5,000.00
SAVE AMERICA $5,000.00
SOMMERS, MICHAEL $5,000.00
SCHROEDER, JEFF $5,000.00
SALEM MEDIA GROUP PAC INC. $5,000.00
ROCK HOLDINGS INC. PAC $5,000.00
SEAL PAC SUPPORTING ELECTING AMERICAN $5,000.00
LEADERS PAC
ROBIN, DAN $5,000.00
SUMEREL, SUSAN MRS. $5,000.00
OHIO COAL PAC $5,000.00
40

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS PAC $5,000.00
REPUBLICAN PARTY OF FLORIDA-FEDERAL $5,000.00
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MUTUAL $5,000.00
INSURANCE COMPANIES PAC
NATIONAL BEER WHOLESALERS $5,000.00
ASSOCIATION PAC
NEW MAJORITY FEDERAL PAC $5,000.00
NECAPAC $5,000.00
PHILLIPS 66 PAC $5,000.00
NEBRASKA SANDHILLS PAC $5,000.00
NEXT CENTURY FUND $5,000.00
PROJECT WEST PAC $5,000.00
NEXTERA ENERGY PAC $5,000.00
NATIONAL PRO-LIFE ALLIANCE PAC $5,000.00
PNC PAC FEDERAL $5,000.00
NATIONAL SHOOTING SPORTS FOUNDATION $5,000.00
INC. PAC
REINVENTING A NEW DIRECTION - RAND PAC $5,000.00
RELY ON YOUR BELIEFS FUND $5,000.00
OLD NORTH STATE PAC $5,000.00
NFIB FEDERAL PAC $5,000.00
RESPONSIBILITY & FREEDOM WORK PAC $5,000.00
ONE GEORGIA PAC $5,000.00
OORAH! PAC $5,000.00
NATIONAL VICTORY ACTION FUND $5,000.00
POPP, JAMES $5,000.00
PAC OF ALABAMA FARMERS FEDERATION $5,000.00
LANK PAC $5,000.00
MADISON PROJECT INC. $5,000.00
MAAS, ANTHONY $5,000.00
LOVELESS, ROBERT $5,000.00
LAWLOR, JOSEPH $5,000.00
MARATHON PETROLEUM CORPORATION $5,000.00
EMPLOYEES PAC
LETS GET TO WORK PAC $5,000.00
LEADERSHIP IN SAVING AMERICA (LISA) PAC $5,000.00
MOORE, NOEL $5,000.00
LOOSE GROUP $5,000.00
HEARTLAND VALUES PAC $5,000.00
INTEL PAC $5,000.00
IWLA PAC $5,000.00
KOCHPAC - KOCH INDUSTRIES INC. $5,000.00
HERTOG, ROGER MR. $5,000.00
KIRKLAND, MACY MS. $5,000.00
JACKIE PAC $5,000.00
JURGENSEN, LORI MS. $5,000.00
HOME DEPOT INC. PAC $5,000.00
HOOSIER PAC $5,000.00
INFIN A FINANCIAL SERVICES ALLIANCE PAC $5,000.00
41

HUCKPAC $5,000.00
INSURPAC $5,000.00
JECKERING, THOMAS $5,000.00
IPAA WILDCATTERS FUND $5,000.00
KONTOS, ARTHUR MR. $5,000.00
JOBS OPPORTUNITY & NEW IDEAS PAC $5,000.00
GATORPAC LLC $5,000.00
EUREKA PAC $5,000.00
ENERGY TRANSFER EMPLOYEE $5,000.00
MANAGEMENT COMPANY PAC (ENERGY TRAN
FREEDOM FUND $5,000.00
FREEMAN, BRADFORD $5,000.00
FOREVER Y.O.U.N.G. PAC $5,000.00
FUND FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE $5,000.00
FRANKEL, TAMMY $5,000.00
GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY PAC (GM PAC) $5,000.00
EXPRESS SERVICES INC. PAC $5,000.00
GEO GROUP INC. PAC $5,000.00
GREIFELD, ROBERT $5,000.00
DEFEND OUR CONSERVATIVE SENATE PAC $5,000.00
CONSERVATIVES HARVESTING SUCCESS PAC $5,000.00
DAKOTA PAC $5,000.00
CHEVRON EMPLOYEES PAC $5,000.00
CONTINUING AMERICA'S STRENGTH & $5,000.00
SECURITY PAC
COUNCIL OF INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS $5,000.00
DEFEND AMERICA PAC $5,000.00
CATHOLICVOTE. ORG PAC $5,000.00
CITIZENS UNITED POLITICAL VICTORY FUND $5,000.00
CITIZENS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT $5,000.00
CJS PAC $5,000.00
CHAMPION AMERICAN VALUES $5,000.00
CORECIVIC PAC $5,000.00
COMMITTEE TO DEFEAT THE PRESIDENT $5,000.00
DIRIGO PAC $5,000.00
DEPENDABLE CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP $5,000.00
PAC
CONCRETEPAC $5,000.00
CONSERVATIVE PROMISES PAC $5,000.00
CONTINENTAL RESOURCES INC. PAC $5,000.00
BLUEGRASS COMMITTEE $5,000.00
BUILDING AMERICAS REPUBLICAN $5,000.00
REPRESENTATION PAC
ALVENDIA, JOHN A. $5,000.00
ARAPAC $5,000.00
ANTHEM PAC $5,000.00
BIELENBERG, JAMES $5,000.00
ARKANSAS FOR LEADERSHIP PAC $5,000.00
BREAD FINANCIAL HOLDINGS INC. PAC $5,000.00
42

ABOUSSIE, KENNETH $5,000.00
AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION PAC $5,000.00
ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN PHYSICIANS $5,000.00
SURGEONS POLITICAL ACTION
BURGER KING FRANCHISEE PAC $5,000.00
ASSOCIATION OF KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN $5,000.00
FRANCHISEES PAC
BIG SKY OPPORTUNITY PAC $5,000.00
AT & T INC. EMPLOYEE FEDERAL PAC $5,000.00
CALIFORNIA DAIRIES PAC $5,000.00
BADLANDS PAC $5,000.00
ALTRIA GROUP INC. PAC $5,000.00
AGC PAC $5,000.00
BRENNAN, CHARLES $5,000.00
BALLARD, BRIAN D. MR. $5,000.00
AMERICAN BAKERS ASSOCIATION PAC $5,000.00
BE VICTORIOUS OVER DEMOCRATS PAC $5,000.00
BUDDY PAC $5,000.00
BECKHAM, JEFF $5,000.00
BUILDING AND RESTORING THE AMERICAN $5,000.00
DREAM FUND
ALAMO PAC $5,000.00
AMGEN INC. PAC $5,000.00
BUSE, J.B. $5,000.00
BESHEAR, RONALD $5,000.00
NRA POLITICAL VICTORY FUND $4,950.00
MAKOWSKI, BRUCE $4,923.45
WEINBERG, RONALD $4,900.00
FARRELL, PETER $4,900.00
EMOFF, NORMALYN $4,900.00
DARGUSCH, WILLIAM $4,900.00
BARDES, DAVID $4,900.00
BAIN, MICHAEL $4,900.00
SMITH, MICHAEL $4,830.50
MCENTEE, JOHN $4,815.00
WILLIAMS, ARTHUR L. MR. JR. $4,785.00
HAYES, PHILLIP $4,710.00
MURRAY, JOHN $4,685.00
RICHARDS, MARY $4,650.00
ANDERSON, EVAN $4,650.00
VOTESANE PAC $4,644.00
HUBER, BARBARA GAIL $4,560.00
KISHMAN, THOMAS $4,550.00
TOWNSEND, GARY $4,500.00
TOWNSEND, AMY $4,500.00
VAN SCOY, RANDALL $4,500.00
DILLMAN, ROGER S. MR. $4,500.00
BROYLES, LEONARD $4,500.00
YATES, PEYTON $4,400.00
43

RICKMAN, WILLIAM $4,400.00
MILLER, JUDY $4,400.00
MARTIN, WILLIAM $4,400.00
SUSAN B. ANTHONY LIST INC. CANDIDATE $4,374.85
FUND (DBA SUSAN B. ANTHONY PRO-LIFE
AMERICA
COOK, WILLIAM $4,350.00
COOK, ANDRA $4,350.00
STEINER, EDWARD $4,300.00
JENKINS, DALE $4,150.00
CHAMPER, JEANNE $4,100.00
BRENDAMOUR, DOUGLAS $4,100.00
ROWE, JOHN W. MR. $4,087.55
OSKOWSKI, LARRY $4,005.00
RICHARDS, CORNELIA $4,001.00
WEISENBURGER, DENNIS $4,000.00
SCCOTT, GARY $4,000.00
SUGDEN, RICHARD $4,000.00
PETTY, DALE $4,000.00
PORTMAN FOR SENATE $4,000.00
NGA GROCERS PAC $4,000.00
PEARCE, STEVEN $4,000.00
RICHMOND, THOMAS $4,000.00
MANION, JASON $4,000.00
HIGGINS, BRENDAN $4,000.00
GRIFFIN, ALLEN $4,000.00
URTON, DEBORAH $3,970.00
JOSH HAWLEY FOR SENATE $3,940.28
KEREIAKES, DEAN $3,915.00
MILLS, BRUCE $3,905.00
WEIRICH, TERRY $3,900.00
SCALA, WILLIAM $3,900.00
RUSSERT, AMY $3,900.00
SAUNDERS, MARY J $3,900.00
SOWAR, JIM $3,900.00
SCHRAMM, LOREN $3,900.00
SAUNDERS, JOHN $3,900.00
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BROADCASTERS $3,900.00
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (NABPAC)
REPLOGLE, STEPHEN $3,900.00
NESS, JOHN $3,900.00
PACE, RICHARD $3,900.00
RETTIG, JACK $3,900.00
LANG, GEORGE $3,900.00
MILLER, DON $3,900.00
MCBRIDE, JAMES $3,900.00
HUBER, TERESA $3,900.00
HEAVENER, JAMES $3,900.00
GUYURON, BAHMAN $3,900.00
44

DALY, JUSTIN $3,900.00
DOWNS, RAISSA $3,900.00
DAVIDSON, JON $3,900.00
AMES, CHARLES $3,900.00
BISHOP, AUSTIN $3,900.00
BARBOUR, HALEY $3,900.00
BILLER, ANDREW $3,900.00
BILLS, CHARLES $3,900.00
VAN DENEND, GARY $3,857.50
HARBERT, MERRITT $3,855.00
SOREF, CATHY C. MS. $3,840.00
SOMMERFELD, MARGO $3,790.11
ADAMSON, CAROL ANNE $3,780.00
MALACOS, GEORGE $3,760.00
HUFF, KELLEY $3,731.00
WILLIAMS, GREGG $3,705.00
SACKS, DAVID O. MR. $3,700.00
STANLEY, TREVOR M $3,700.00
FINDLEY, KERI $3,700.00
GOODWIN, WILLIAM $3,700.00
(Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
NOTE: The above table contains the aggregate contributions from the top 500 contributors to
J.D. Vance’s 2022 campaign for the United States Senate. A full list of the total amount of
contributors can be found here.
Notable Megadonors With A History Of Anti-Trump Rhetoric Or Actions
Since 2021, Vance Has Received At Least $5,800 In Aggregate Contributions From Notable
Political Megadonors With A History Of Anti-Trump Rhetoric Or Actions. (Federal Election
• In 2022, Vance Received $2,900 From Ken Griffin, Founder And Chief Executive
Officer Of Citadel LLC. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
o In November 2022, Griffin Stated He Would Support Governor Ron
DeSantis For The 2024 Republican Party Presidential Nomination And
Declined To Support Trump, Stating “I Think It’s Time To Move On To The
Next Generation.” “Politically, he’s also tired of Donald Trump. Griffin liked his
fiscal policies while in the White House, but his only financial support to Trump
came in donating $100,000 to his inaugural committee. ‘He did a lot of things
really well and missed the mark on some important areas,’ Griffin said. ‘And for a
litany of reasons, I think it’s time to move on to the next generation.’ While he’s
supporting one of this cycle’s biggest culture warriors in DeSantis, Griffin said
most hot-button issues — abortion rights, battles over sex education and LGBTQ
rights — don’t define his interests. He wants to improve the diversity of the GOP
and blunt the vein of populism that has complicated the party’s relationship with
the corporate world — two things he’s consulted with House Minority Leader
45
Kevin McCarthy about.” (Shia Kapos, “GOP Megadonor: I’m Ready To Back DeSantis For
President In ’24,” Politico, 11/6/22)
• In 2022, Vance Received $2,900 From Paul Singer, Co-Chief Executive Officer Of
Elliott Investment Management. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
o In October 2017, Singer Was Reported As A Major Funder For The
Washington Free Beacon, A Conservative News Outlet With Establishment
Republican Party Ties, Which Reportedly Hired The Political Research Firm
Fusion GPS To Produce Negative Information Against Trump During The
2016 Presidential Election. “A conservative website with strong ties to the
Republican establishment triggered the investigation into Donald Trump’s past
that ultimately produced the dossier that alleged a compromised relationship
between the president and the Kremlin. The Washington Free Beacon on Friday
confirmed it originally retained the political research firm Fusion GPS to scour
then-candidate Trump’s background for negative information, a common practice
known as “opposition research” in politics. Leaders from the Free Beacon, which
is funded largely by Republican billionaire Paul Singer, insisted none of the early
material it collected appeared in the dossier released later in the year detailing
explosive allegations, many uncorroborated, about Trump compiled by a former
British spy… The Washington Free Beacon was initially founded as a project of
the conservative nonprofit group Center for American Freedom, as an alternative
to liberal news sites run by progressive nonprofits. The Center for American
Freedom was organized as a 501(c)4 and did not reveal its donors, but Singer was
the sole funder of the site as recently as 2014, according to a Republican political
veteran familiar with the site. The veteran spoke on condition of anonymity to
detail the newspaper’s financial background. The Free Beacon first retained
Fusion to investigate Trump in the fall of 2015 and ended its relationship after
Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination in late spring of 2016,
according to a person close to Goldfarb, who spoke on the condition of anonymity
to share private discussions. The website and its leaders have strong ties
throughout the Republican establishment. Goldfarb was deputy communications
director on John McCain’s presidential campaign. Singer was backing Florida
Sen. Marco Rubio’s presidential bid at the time of the Free Beacon’s involvement.
And one of Singer’s closest associates, Republican operative Dan Senor, served
as Speaker Ryan’s chief adviser during the 2012 president campaign. A
representative to Singer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”
(Steve Peoples And Zeke Miller, “AP report: Website With GOP Ties Funded Research On
Trump Dossier,” PBS, 10/28/17)
Individual Contributions
Federal Election Commission
According To The Federal Election Commission, Vance Has Contributed An Aggregate Of
$11,225 To Federal Campaign Committees. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed 2/23/24)
46
• In 2021, Vance Contributed $5,800 To Blake Masters For Senate. (Federal Election
• In 2021, Vance Contributed $2,900 To Max Miller For Congress. (Federal Election
• In 2021, Vance Contributed $1,000 To Joe Kent For Congress. (Federal Election
• In 2019, Vance Contributed $1,000 To Portman For Senate. (Federal Election

• In 2020, Vance Contributed $500 To Driscoll For Congress. (Federal Election

• In 2021, Vance Contributed $25 To WinRed. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed

2/23/24)
o In 2021, Vance Earmarked $25 To His Campaign. (Federal Election Commission,

Accessed 2/23/24)
Ohio Secretary Of State

According To The Ohio Secretary Of State, Vance Has Contributed An Aggregate Of $X
To Campaign Committees In The State Of Ohio. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Accessed 2/23/24)
• In 2021, Vance Contributed $4,100 To Kennedy For Ohio. (Ohio Secretary Of State,
Accessed 2/23/24)
VOTING RECORDS
J.D. Vance has been a registered voter in Hamilton County, Ohio since September 11, 2018;
Vance registered as a Republican in May 2022. Since 2018, Vance has failed to vote in at least
four elections including the 2020 primary elections. Vance previously registered to vote in
Hamilton County on May 17, 2013; Vance did not vote in Hamilton County while previously
registered there. Vance Initially registered to vote as an unaffiliated voter in Butler County, Ohio
in July 2004, voting in the 2004 and 2006 general elections while registered there. Vance later
registered to vote in Franklin County, Ohio in April 2017, failing to vote in two elections while
registered in the county. (Note: Additional records relating to Vance’s voter history have been
submitted. An update will be provided upon receipt).
Hamilton County, OH
According To The Hamilton County Board Of Elections, Vance Has Been An Actively-
Registered Voter In Hamilton County, Ohio Since September 11, 2018. (Voter Profile Report:
James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of Elections, Filed 9/11/18, Ohio Open Records Act Request, Filled
1/22/24)
47
(Voter Profile Report: James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of Elections, Filed 9/11/18, Ohio Open Records
Act Request, Filled 1/22/24)
• On May 26, 2022, Vance Registered As A Republican Party Voter. (Voter Profile Report:
James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of Elections, Filed 5/26/22, Ohio Open Records Act Request,
Filled 1/22/24)
Since 2018, Vance Has Failed To Vote In At Least Four Elections: The 2018, 2019, 2020,
And 2021 Primary Elections. (Voter Profile Report: James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of
Elections, Filed 9/11/18, Ohio Open Records Act Request, Filled 1/22/24)
48
Vance Previously Registered To Vote In Hamilton County, Ohio On May 17, 2013. (Voter
Profile Report: James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of Elections, Filed 5/17/13, Ohio Open Records Act
Request, Filled 1/22/24)
• Vance Does Not Appear To Have Voted While Registered In Hamilton County
During This Time. (Voter Profile Report: James David Vance, Hamilton County Board Of Elections,
Filed 5/17/13, Ohio Open Records Act Request, Filled 1/22/24)
Franklin County, OH
According To The Franklin County Board Of Elections, Vance Registered To Vote In
Franklin County, Ohio On April 4, 2017. (Voter Profile Report: James David Vance, Franklin County
Board Of Elections, Filed 4/4/17, Ohio Open Records Act Request, Filled 1/22/24)
49
(Voter Profile Report: James David Vance, Franklin County Board Of Elections, Filed 4/4/17, Ohio Open Records
Between 2017 And 2018, Vance Voted In The 2017 General And Special Elections. (Voter
Profile Report: James David Vance, Franklin County Board Of Elections, Filed 4/4/17, Ohio Open Records Act
Request, Filled 1/22/24)
Butler County, OH
According To The Franklin County Board Of Elections, Vance, Then-Hamel, Registered
As A Republican Party Voter In Butler County, Ohio On July 30, 2004. (Voter Profile Report:
James David Vance, Franklin County Board Of Elections, Filed 7/30/04, Ohio Open Records Act Request, Filled
1/22/24)
50
While Registered In Butler County, Vance Voted In The 2004 And 2006 General Elections.
NOTE: Additional records relating to Vance’s voter history have been submitted. An update will
be provided upon receipt.
EDUCATION RECORDS
According to the National Student Clearinghouse, J.D. Vance graduated from Ohio State
University In August 2009 with a bachelor of science in philosophy.
Ohio State University

According To The National Student Clearinghouse, Vance Graduated From Ohio State
University In August 2009 With A Bachelor Of Science In Philosophy. (National Student
Clearinghouse, Accessed 2/20/24)
51
(National Student Clearinghouse, Accessed 2/20/24)
PUBLIC COMPENSATION RECORDS

Since 2023, J.D. has received approximately $203,000 in taxpayer-funded compensation while
serving in the United State Senate.
U.S. Senate (2013-Pres.)

Since 2023, Vance Has Received Approximately $203,000 In Taxpayer-Funded
Compensation While Serving In The United States Senate. (Salaries, U.S. Senate, Accessed 2/20/24)
(Salaries, U.S. Senate, Accessed 2/20/24)
52
MILITARY RECORDS
According to the U.S. Department Of Defense Manpower Data Center, J.D. Vance served in the
U.S. Marine Corps between September 22, 2003 and September 21, 2007.
U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007)

According To The U.S. Department Of Defense Manpower Data Center, Vance Served In
The U.S. Marine Corps Between September 22, 2003 And September 21, 2007. (SCRA,
Accessed 2/23/24)
(SCRA, Accessed 2/23/24)
LOBBYING RECORDS
While not a lobbyist himself, J.D. Vance’s old law firm, Sidley Austin, lobbied on behalf of
several controversial clients during his tenure with the company. Between 2014 and 2015, Sidley
Austin lobbied on behalf of Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, who has paid billions of
dollars in criminal and civil penalties related to the opioid epidemic. Likewise, between 2014
and 2015, Sidley Austin lobbied on behalf of multiple Chinese Communist Party-affiliated
companies including Alibaba and Kaisa Group. In 2020, Alibaba, is a Chinese company which
operates e-commerce platforms, was named by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as a company
Pompeo urged American companies to remove from their digital networks. Meanwhile, Kaisa
Group is a Chinese real estate firm that was probed over alleged links to a former state official
involved in a graft investigation.
53
Sidley Austin
Purdue Pharma
In 2014, Sidley Austin LLP Lobbied On Behalf Of Purdue Pharma For $40,000. (Center For
Responsive Politics Website, Accessed 2/23/24)
In 2020, Purdue Pharma, The Maker Of OxyContin, Agreed To Plead Guilty To Criminal
Charges Related To The Marketing Of The Painkiller And Face Penalties Of $8.3 Billion.
“Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges related
to its marketing of the addictive painkiller, and faces penalties of roughly $8.3 billion, the Justice
Department announced on Wednesday. The settlement could pave the way for a resolution of
thousands of lawsuits brought against the company for its role in a public health crisis that has
killed more than 450,000 Americans since 1999. The company’s owners, members of the
wealthy Sackler family, have agreed to pay $225 million in civil penalties. Prosecutors said the
agreement did not preclude the filing of criminal charges against Purdue executives or individual
Sacklers.” (Jan Hoffman and Katie Benner, “Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty To Criminal Charges For Opioid
Sales,” The New York Times, 10/21/20)
In A 2017 Op-Ed, Vance Targeted OxyContin. “Partially because of the high costs of those
clinical trials, and partially because of the larger dynamics of the American health-care market,
the development costs of new pharmaceuticals are extremely high. By some estimates, the cost
of developing a new drug reaches as high as $2 billion. Yet the benefits of owning a popular
drug are astronomical: Last year, the highest-selling drug in the United States netted more than
$10 billion in revenues. This creates a conundrum for drug developers: how to maximize
blockbuster new therapies without paying the skyhigh costs of drug development. In practice,
this has created a remarkable incentive for big drug companies to repackage already tested and
marketed therapies. And there are a variety of strategies pharmaceutical companies employ:
They can seek extended patent protection for their blockbuster drugs, apply old drugs to new
disease indications, or develop new formulations or delivery mechanisms. This latter strategy
led directly to the nation’s most famous prescription opioid: OxyContin.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA
Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/11/17)
• Vance Noted That Purdue Pharmaceuticals’ Claims About OxyContin Were

“Bogus” And Was The Subject Of Lawsuits Across The Country. “OxyContin, or
‘Oxy’ as it’s often known, was sold by Purdue Pharmaceuticals and promised ‘smooth
and sustained pain control all day and night.’ Its active ingredient is an old, cheap
narcotic. Though Purdue had developed a technique to delay the full release of the
drug’s payload, its claims about all day relief were bogus — so bogus, in fact, that
Purdue was fined about $600 million in 2006 and is now a defendant in lawsuits all over
the country.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus Dispatch,
10/11/17)
• Vance Noted That Then-Attorney General Mike DeWine Sued Purdue And Other
Companies And “Correctly” Argued The Companies “Misled Doctors And Their
Patients About The Potential For Opioid Abuse.” “Indeed, Ohio Attorney General
Mike DeWine recently initiated one such lawsuit against Purdue and other
54
pharmaceutical companies. In the suit, DeWine correctly argues that drugmakers misled
doctors and their patients about the potential for opioid abuse.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA
• Vance Wrote That Purdue Acted “Unethically.” “Why was Purdue ever legally
permitted to market these drugs as nonaddictive, all-day pain relievers? Purdue certainly
acted unethically, and may have even acted illegally, but our legal system places one
significant barrier between companies like Purdue and the American consumer: the
FDA.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus Dispatch,
10/11/17)
• Vance Also Wrote That The Problems With OxyContin Were Evident “Almost
Immediately.” “With Oxy, evidence of its potential problems arose almost
immediately. A single dose, for instance, promised to relieve pain for 12 hours. But
about half of the enrollees in OxyContin’s first clinical trial required additional
medication before their 12 hours elapsed, according to one report. And despite the
potential for addiction that any narcotic opioid possesses, Purdue never tested the drug
as a six- or eight-hour pain reliever before selling it. The FDA never required that
testing, and the rest is history: OxyContin became one of the most successful
pharmaceutical products in the country, a number of other prescription opioids followed
it onto the market, and America’s consumption of opioid pain medications
skyrocketed.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus
Dispatch, 10/11/17)
Alibaba
In 2014, Sidley Austin LLP Lobbied On Behalf Of The Alibaba Group For $50,000. (Center
For Responsive Politics Website, Accessed 4/27/21)
In 2020, Alibaba, A Chinese Company Which Operates E-Commerce Platforms, Was

Named By Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo As A Company Pompeo Urged American
Companies To Remove From Their Digital Networks. “Alibaba hasn't yet been threatened
with the same kinds of sanctions that US President Donald Trump has proposed or levied against
other Chinese tech firms. And Trump has even spoken fondly of company founder Jack Ma,
calling him a ‘friend of mine’ earlier this year after the Chinese billionaire said he would donate
supplies for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. But the company is on the minds of US officials.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo name-checked Alibaba last week when he urged American
companies to remove ‘untrusted’ Chinese-owned technology from their digital networks. …
Alibaba, which did not respond to requests for comment for this story, operates widely popular
e-commerce platforms, mostly available in China and other Southeast Asian markets. It also
started Alipay, one of the most dominant payment apps in China alongside Tencent's WeChat
Pay.” (Sherisse Pham, “After Tiktok And Wechat, Alibaba Could Be The Next Target In Trump's Tech War,” CNN
Business, 8/13/20)
55
Kaisa Group
In 2015, Sidley Austin LLP Represented Kaisa Group Holdings, A Chinese Real Estate
Firm That Was Probed Over Alleged Links To A Former State Official Involved In A
Graft Investigation. “The Shenzhen government is holding talks with several property
developers to orchestrate investments in troubled real estate firm Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd.
(01638.HK), Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources. Kaisa is under probe over
alleged links to Jiang Zunyu, the former security chief of the southern Chinese city who was
taken into custody in a graft investigation. The company failed to make a US$23 million coupon
payment, due Jan. 8, on its US$500 million of 2020 dollar bonds, putting it at risk of becoming
the first mainland developer to default on US currency debt. … Moelis & Co. is in talks with
several Kaisa noteholders, while law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP is representing holders of its
convertible debentures. Kaisa has hired Sidley Austin LLP to advise on debt restructuring.”
(“Shenzhen Govt Holds Talks With Potential Kaisa Investors,” EJ Insight, 1/23/15)
CRIMINAL RECORDS
J.D. Vance has been issued at least one traffic citation for which he paid a $95 fine.
Traffic Citations
In September 2006, Vance, Then-Hamel, Was Issued A Traffic Citation For Speeding In
Fairborn, Ohio. (Case No. TRD 0610349, Fairborn Municipal Court, Filed 9/7/06)
(Case No. TRD 0610349, Fairborn Municipal Court, Filed 9/7/06)
• Vance Paid A $95 Fine For The Citation. (Case No. TRD 0610349, Fairborn Municipal Court,
Filed 9/7/06)
56
POLICE RECORDS
NOTE: No immediately actionable information could be gleaned from municipal law
enforcement records relating to J.D.
REAL PROPERTY RECORDS
This is the primary residence owned by J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, through a holding
company, LLC. This single-family residence comprises four bedrooms and four-
and-a-half bathrooms and has a 2023 total value of $1,365,490. Vance and his wife have owned
the property since June 2018 and transferred the property to their holding company in December
2020.
(Hamilton County Auditor, Accessed 2/20/24)
Property Information
Full Address:
County: Hamilton County
Parcel ID:
Property Type: Single-Family Residential
Owner:
Transfer Date: 12/01/2020
Sale Date: 06/07/2018
Sale Price: $1,392,500
Year Built: 1867
Total Bedrooms: 4
Total Bathrooms: 4.5
Total Square Footage: 5,028
2023 Total Value: $1,365,490
57
Tax Information
In 2024, Vance Will Paid $29,287.02 In Total Municipal Property Taxes. (Hamilton County
Auditor, Accessed 2/20/24)
This is an additional property owned by J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha. This single-family
residence comprises two bedrooms and two bathrooms and has a 2023 assessed value of
$718,000. Vance and his wife have owned the property since September 2014.
58
(Washington D.C. Assessor, Accessed 2/20/24)
Property Information
Full Address:
County: -
Parcel ID:
Property Type: Single-Family Residential
Owner: VANCE JAMES D & CHILUKURI USHA
Sale Date: 09/03/2014
Sale Price: $590,000
Year Built: 1914
Total Bedrooms: 2
Total Bathrooms: 2
Total Square Footage: 1,116
2023 Assessed Value: $718,000
(Washington D.C. Assessor, Accessed 2/20/24)
Tax Information
In 2024, Vance Will Paid $6,043.68 In Total Municipal Property Taxes. (Washington D.C.
Assessor, Accessed 2/20/24)
59
(Washington D.C. Assessor, Accessed 2/20/24
BANKRUPTCIES, JUDGMENTS, & LIENS RECORDS

In October 2013, J.D. Vance and Kiel Brennan-Marquez filed a small claims complaint against
Bluebird Partners, LLC demanding $4,200 for rent and damages; in January 2014, the parties
appear to have settle and the case was dismissed.
Small Claims
James Vance, Et Al. V. Bluebird Partners, LLC
In October 2013, Vance And Kiel Brennan-Marquez Filed A Small Claims Complaint
Against Bluebird Partners, LLC Demanding $4,200 For Rent And Damages In New Haven,
Connecticut. (Case No. SCC-510422, James Vance, Et Al. V. Bluebird Partners, LLC, New Haven Clerk Of
Court, Filed 10/9/13)
60
(Case No. SCC-510422, James Vance, Et Al. V. Bluebird Partners, LLC, New Haven Clerk Of Court, Filed 10/9/13)
• In January 2014, The Parties Appear To Have Settle And The Case Was Dismissed.
(Case No. SCC-510422, James Vance, Et Al. V. Bluebird Partners, LLC, New Haven Clerk Of Court, Filed
1/23/14)
LEGAL ISSUES
NOTE: No legal issues of note could be found for J.D. Vance.
BUSINESS RECORDS
Vance is the current manager of two Ohio-domiciled businesses: JD Vance Enterprises LLC and
JDE Enterprise Investments LLC; both companies are active to. According to his own
disclosures, Vance is a former partner of three Delaware-domiciled, Ohio-registered businesses:
Narya Capital Management, LLC, Narya Capital Fund I, L.P., and Narya Capital GP I, LLC.
61
JD Vance Enterprises LLC

In February 2017, Vance Incorporated JD Vance Enterprises LLC As A Domestic For-
Profit Entity With Secretary Of State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 2/22/17)
(Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 2/22/17)
• The Company Is Currently Active To Date. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Accessed 2/23/24)
JDE Enterprise Investments LLC
In February 2018, Vance Incorporated JDE Enterprise Investments LLC As A Domestic
For-Profit Entity With Secretary Of State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 2/22/18)
62
Narya Capital Management, LLC

In January 2020, Narya Capital Management, LLC Was Registered With The Ohio
Secretary Of State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 1/27/20)
Narya Capital Fund I, L.P.
In June 2019, Narya Capital Fund I, L.P. Was Registered With The Ohio Secretary Of
State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 6/21/19)
63
Narya Capital GP I, LLC

In January 2020, Narya Capital GP I, LLC Was Registered With The Ohio Secretary Of
State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 1/27/20)
NOTE: All the above Narya companies were incorporated in Delaware, likely for tax purposes;
Vance has declared interest in each of the companies on his disclosures.
NON-PROFIT RECORDS
J.D. Vance is the former honorary chairman of the Ohio-domiciled non-profit Our Ohio
Renewal, which he served on between 2019 and 2022.
Our Ohio Renewal Foundation

In May 2017, Our Ohio Renewal Foundation Was Incorporated As A Domestic Non-Profit
With The Ohio Secretary Of State. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 5/16/17)
• In May 2022, The Organization Was Cancelled For Failing To File Its Statement Of
Continued Existence. (Ohio Secretary Of State, Filed 5/16/22)
64
Vance Declared He Was The Honorary Chairman Of Our Ohio Renewal Between June
2019 And December 2022. (2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
(2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
PROFESSIONAL & RECREATIONAL LICENSES

J.D. Vance has been a licensed attorney in the state of Kentucky since October 18, 2013.
Attorney License
Kentucky
Vance Has Been A Licensed Attorney In The State Of Kentucky Since October 18, 2013.
(Kentucky Bar, Accessed 2/23/24)
(Kentucky Bar, Accessed 2/23/24)
65
PERSONAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

On his 2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, J.D. Vance declared his net worth was valued
between $3,708,154 and $10,394,999 stemming from assets valued between $4,208,154 and
$10,645,000 and liabilities totaling between $250,001 and $500,000. Outside of his standard
investments in mutual and index funds, the majority of Vance’s assets are investments through
his companies, JD Vance Enterprises and Narya Capital, which investments in a variety of
companies across the country. Vance listed his positions with both companies, and interestingly,
declared he received more than $110,000 in salary from Narya, which appears to be in conflict
with the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, which states Representatives and Senators are limited
to earning 15% in excess of their yearly Congressional salary. Vance also received nearly $1
million in income from Narya, which appears to be from his partnership dividends.
2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, U.S. Senate

Net Worth
Vance’s Calculable Net Worth Was Valued Between $3,708,154 And $10,394,999. (2022
Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
• Vance’s Assets Were Valued Between $4,208,154 And $10,645,000. (2022 Personal
Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
• Vance’s Liabilities Were Valued Between $250,001 And $500,000. (2022 Personal
Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
Assets
Asset Name Value Income
Residential Real Estate $500,001 - $1,000,000 $15,001 - $50,000
QQQ - Invesco QQQ Trust, Series $500,001 - $1,000,000 None (or less than $201)
1
DIA - SPDR Dow Jones Industrial $500,001 - $1,000,000 $15,001 - $50,000
Average ETF
SPY - SPDR S&P 500 $500,001 - $1,000,000 $5,001 - $15,000
The Huntington National Bank $250,001 - $500,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Memoir, Inc. d/b/a $250,001 - $500,000 None (or less than $201)
Chapter
Marcus Goldman Sachs (Acct #1) $250,001 - $500,000 $2,501 - $5,000
APPH - AppHarvest, Inc. - $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)
Common Stock
Investment in Rumble Inc. $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)
USAA Federal Savings Bank (Acct $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)
x69)
Marcus Goldman Sachs (Acct #5) $100,001 - $250,000 $201 - $1,000
TLT - iShares 20+ Year Treasury $100,001 - $250,000 $2,501 - $5,000
Bond ETF
SPDR Gold Shares ETF EC $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)
Charles Schwab $100,001 - $250,000 $201 - $1,000
66
BTC $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)

Robin Hood $100,001 - $250,000 None (or less than $201)
WMT - Walmart Inc. Common $50,001 - $100,000 None (or less than $201)
Stock
Investment in Kriya Therapies $50,001 - $100,000 None (or less than $201)
OILK - K-1 Free Crude Oil $50,001 - $100,000 $5,001 - $15,000
Strategy ETF
Investment in AcreTrader, Inc. $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Beren Therapeutics $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
P.B.C.
Investment in Hallow, Inc. $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
Common Stock
Investment in Memoir, Inc. d/b/a $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
Chapter
Investment in Rumble Inc. $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Beren Therapeutics $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
P.B.C.
Investment in Hallow, Inc. $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
SWKXX - Schwab California Muni $15,001 - $50,000 None (or less than $201)
Money Fund Inv Shares
Investment in Summersalt, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in 120 Water Audit, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
LLC
Investment in 75F, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in 8th Stage, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Abartys Health LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in ALTality, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Americademy, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Amplion, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Anduril Industries, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in ANVL, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Common Stock
Investment in Atlas Space $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Operations, Inc.
Investment in Atomos Nuclear and $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Space Corporation
Investment in Aurora Insights, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Back to the Roots, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in BacklotCars, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Bidr Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Bionaut Labs, LTD $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
67
Investment in Blokable, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Brace Software, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Branch Financial, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in CareAcademy.co, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Caribu, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Catalyst IT Services, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Chase Therapeutics $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Corporation
Investment in Collective Hotels and $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Retreats, Inc.
Investment in DeepConvo Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in DemandJump Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Dispatchlt, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Edisun Microgrids, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in EIE Materials, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Energy Intelligence, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Ethex Software Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in FiscalNote, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in FlavorCloud, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Fluree, PBC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Flytedesk Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Foxtrot Ventures, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Incorporated
Investment in Freightwaves Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in FTC Holdings LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Gathering, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Global Uprising, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
PBC
Investment in Glow Technologies, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in GoGuardian $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Holdings, Inc.
Investment in Gramercy $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Technologies, Inc.
Investment in Guardhat, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Hatch Technologies, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in HealthCare $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Interactive, Inc.
Investment in Hermeus Corporation $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Huge Legal $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Technology Company, Inc.
Investment in ICX Media, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in IdealSpot, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
68
Investment in Immersive Tech, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Inscope Medical $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Solutions, Inc.
Investment in Insightin Health, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in JMM Partners DE, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in K4Connect, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Kidizen, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Kiswe Mobile Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Ledger Investing, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in LifeLoop, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in LockerDome, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Losant loT, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Lunar Labs, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Lynk Global, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in MANTL, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in MCH Ventures, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Medici Technologies, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
LLC
Investment in Megh Computing, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Mend Tech, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Mint Apartment $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Cleaning, Inc.
Investment in Mixtroz, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Neighbor Storage, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Neighborhood $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Goods, Inc.
Investment in NeoLight, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in NeuScience, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Nickson, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Off the Record, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Ordway Labs, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in PartySlate, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in PatientOne, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Peanut Butter, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Pop Biotechnologies, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
LLC
Investment in POPS! Diabetes $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Care, Inc.
Investment in Pryon Incorporated $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Qwick, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Raptor Acquisition $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Holdings, LLC
Investment in Ready Responders, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
69
Investment in Replica, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in SaaS Industries, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Scholly, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in ShearShare, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Sisu Global Health $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Slingshot Aerospace, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Smartwyre, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Sole Power, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Soundways, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in SparkCharge, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in StockX, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Stord, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Structural, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Tap Projects, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in The Next One’s On $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Me, Inc.
Investment in Thrive Global $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Holdings, Inc.
Investment in Understory, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Vemos, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Visage Enterprise, $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Inc.
Investment in Waymark, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in We Quilt, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in WealthForge $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Holdings, Inc.
Investment in WhyHotel, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in WireWheel, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in World View $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Enterprises, Inc.
Investment in World Waters $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Holdings, LLC
Investment in Xendoo, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in ZenBusiness PBC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Zylo, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in AcreTrader, Inc. $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in AmplifyBio, LLC $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Investment in Kriya Therapies $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
USAA Federal Savings Bank (Acct $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
x87)
Navy Federal Credit Union $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Charles Schwab $1,001 - $15,000 None (or less than $201)
Narya Capital Management, LLC None (or less than $1,001) Other $945,000.00
Rise of the Rest Seed Fund AIV None (or less than $1,001) None (or less than $201)
GP, LLC
70
Navy Federal Credit Union None (or less than $1,001) $1,001 - $2,500
SWTXX - Schwab Municipal None (or less than $1,001) None (or less than $201)
Money Fund - Investor Shares
Liabilities
Vance Declared A Mortgage Valued Between $250,001 And $500,000 To Navy Federal
Credit Union As A Liability. (2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed
10/30/23)
Earned Income
Vance Declared He Earned $110,146 In Salary From Narya Capital Management, LLC.
Vance Declared He Earned $121,376 In Royalties From HarperCollins. (2022 Personal Financial
Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
Vance Declared His Spouse Earned Less Than $1,000 In Salary From Munger Tolles &
Olsen LLP. (2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
NOTE: According to the 1978 Ethics in Government Act, Representatives and Senators are
limited to earning 15% in excess of their yearly Congressional salary.
Positions
Vance Declared He Has Been A Member Of JD Vance Enterprises LLC Since February
2017. (2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
Vance Declared He Was A Partner Of Narya Capital Management LLC Between June
Vance Declared He Was The Honorary Chairman Of Our Ohio Renewal Between June
Agreements
Vance Declared A Royalty Agreement With HarperCollins, Established In July 2013, For
His Book, Hillbilly Elegy. (2022 Personal Financial Disclosure, Clerk Of The U.S. Senate, Filed 10/30/23)
VANCE’S ANTI-TRUMP RECORD AND ESTABLISHMENT

TIES
VANCE WAS OPPOSED TO TRUMP’S CANDIDACY DURING THE 2016
ELECTION
As Early As August 2016, Vance Had Announced His Intention To Vote Third Party
As Opposed To Voting For Trump
As Early As August 2016, Vance Said He Planned To Vote For Third Party Candidate
Evan McMullin Because He Couldn’t “Stomach Trump.” GROSS: “...What are you going to
71
do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE: “My current plan is to vote either third
party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog because that’s about as good as it seems.
But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like Trump has a really good chance of winning,
that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton. But at the end of the day, I just
feel like she is so culturally disconnected from the people that I grew up around that it would be
very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for her. So ultimately I think I’ll probably vote third
party. I might vote for this new guy who I really like, Evan McMullin, who I actually met the
other day. But I think that I’m going to vote third party because I can’t stomach Trump. I think
that he’s noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place. And ultimately I
just don’t share Hillary Clinton’s politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
• Vance: “I Think That He’s Noxious And Is Leading The White Working Class To A
Very Dark Place.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
Vance In 2016: “I Didn't Vote For Trump Or Hillary Where I Was Almost Saying Look, I
Told You So, Hillary Is Going To Win, We Shouldn't Have Nominated Trump In The First
Place…” VANCE: “Yes. And I guess I felt pretty much the same way. There was a certain amount
of confidence. There was almost an arrogance that I had. So I didn't vote for Trump or Hillary
where I was almost saying look, I told you so, Hillary is going to win, we shouldn't have nominated
Trump in the first place, it just shows that in some ways I was in my own bubble and I'm guilty of
some of the same things that I criticize the elite of being guilty of.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/9/16)
Vance Said He Voted For Evan McMullin And Said, “My Fear With Trump Was Always
That He Didn’t Have Great Solutions.” “Vance voted for independent Evan McMullin, not
Trump, last month. ‘I always understood why he was so appealing to so many folks back home,’
he said of the president-elect. ‘It’s not surprising they voted for him. … My fear with Trump was
always that he didn’t have great solutions.” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202: Why The Author Of
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
• Vance: “I Am Pessimistic That You Can Flip The Trade Switch And Make All
These Steel Jobs Come Back To Middletown.” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202: Why The
Author Of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
In 2017, Vance Defended People Who Had Voted For Trump Despite His Incendiary
Rhetoric, Saying A Vote Against Trump Was A Vote For Hillary Clinton. VANCE: “Yeah,
I agree. The point about risk tolerance for some of the things that Trump said, I think, is a very
important one. It’s something I’ve tried to talk about with my family a lot, that if we maybe
looked a little bit different, if our names were a little bit different, then maybe we wouldn’t be so
tolerant of some of the things he said. We wouldn’t be so willing to cast it aside and say that’s
not really what he means or that’s not really what he thinks. The complicating factor, of course,
is that people weren’t voting a binary yes or no Trump. They were necessarily voting, if not for
Trump, then for Hillary Clinton. The framing I have always had to this is that there’s both a
substance and a process element to Trump. There’s the things that he says, the policies, such as
they are, that he hopes to enact. That’s the substantive part of Trump, but then there’s the process
part of Trump, which is a criticism of the elites, a criticism of the way we engage in political
discourse, a criticism, specifically, of the Clintons and especially Hillary Clinton. And my sense
is that the process side of Trump was very appealing to a lot of people even as the substantive
side of him was at least a little bit disconcerting, even to a lot of his voters.” (Ezra Klein, “A
Conversation With J.D. Vance, The Reluctant Interpreter Of Trumpism,” Vox, 2/2/17)
72
Vance Was Accused Of “Effectively” Voting For Hillary Clinton

In 2018, While Vance Was Considering Running For Senate, Another Candidate Said He
Had “Effectively Voted For Hillary Clinton” In The 2016 Election. “Vance and McConnell
have spoken more than once as party leaders apparently continue to shop for a candidate beyond
wealthy Cleveland-area investment banker Mike Gibbons, who also is a political novice.
Gibbons last week signaled a willingness to invest $5 million of his own money, and potentially
more, in the race. Gibbons' campaign spanked Vance on Wednesday for his failure to vote for
Trump. Vance cast his ballot for Evan McMullin, an independent supported by conservatives
opposed to Trump. ‘Mike Gibbons was a co-chair for President Trump in Ohio and never
wavered in his support for the president. J.D. Vance effectively voted for Hillary Clinton when
he voted against President Trump. There's only one candidate in the race who would support the
president, Mike Gibbons,’ said Mike Biundo, a Gibbons campaign consultant.” (Jessica Wehrman
And Randy Ludlow, “Renacci Shifts Gears; Sources Say He's Pulling Out Of Governor's Race To Run For U.S.
Senate,” The Repository, 1/17/18)
During The Campaign And After The Election, Vance Doubted Trump’s Ability To Be
Effective In Office
In 2016, Vance Said Cynicism And Frustration In The Country “Needs To Find A Better
Outlet Than Donald Trump” And Said Trump Was Not “Going To Make The Problem
Better.” VANCE: “I think that it’s more about the white working-class folks who aren’t
necessarily economically destitute but in some ways feel very culturally isolated and very
pessimistic about the future. That’s one of the biggest predictors of whether someone will
support Donald Trump – it may be the biggest predictor – is the belief that America is headed in
the wrong direction, the belief that your kids are not going to have a better life than you did. And
that cynicism really breeds frustration at political elites, but, frankly, that frustration needs to
find a better outlet than Donald Trump. And that’s why I’ve made some of the analogies that I
have because I don’t think that he’s going to make the problem better. I think, like you said, he is
in some ways a pain reliever. He’s someone who makes people feel a little bit better about their
problems. But whether he’s elected president or not, those problems are still going to be there,
and we’ve got to recognize that.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
Vance Said Trump Diagnosed Problems In A Successful And Passionate Way, “But I Don't
See Him As Offering Many Solutions.” “VANCE: “Well, I think one thing they should be
doing is thinking seriously about what's wrong in their communities and going, both in personal
ways, but also in the political leaders that they choose, really holding their feet to the fire and
asking that they do things that will actually address their problems. I think, frankly, that's a big
problem with Trump is that he diagnoses the problems in a very successful and very passionate
way, but I don't see him as offering many solutions.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 8/14/16)
Vance Claimed Trump Offered “A Slogan About Greatness With Little Substance To
Support It.” “It is a far cry from the patriotism of my youth. Our faith in our country fell so far,
so fast, that many support a man whose very slogan — ‘Make America Great Again’ —
implicitly argues that a central tenet of my childhood was false. Our mistrust of those in power
has swelled to the point that many will support Donald Trump, who offers a slogan about
greatness with little substance to support it.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “How The White Working Class Lost Its
Patriotism,” The Washington Post, 7/25/16)
73
Vance, On Trump In January 2017: “As For The Question About Whether He'll Be
Ultimately Effective, My Guess Is That He Probably Won't Be. But We'll See.” “Q: Do you
think people you wrote about who voted for Trump are going to have a voice? Or do you think
they're going to get played? Vance: Definitely, folks feel like they have a voice now. Whether he
does good things or not is going to be determined over the next few years. I think it's too early to
say whether they got played. I tend to think even if he's not a successful president, I wouldn't say
they got played, because I don't think that gives enough credit to, frankly, how smart people are
when they're weighing their vote and what to do with it. As for the question about whether he'll
be ultimately effective, my guess is that he probably won't be. But we'll see. I'm hoping that he
is.” (“Trump And The 'Hillbilly Elegy' Effect,” Journal And Courier, 1/30/17)
Vance Criticized Trump’s Statements And Policy Proposals
In 2016, Vance Said Of Trump: “Half Of The Things That He Says Don’t Make Any Sense
Or A Quarter Of The Things That He Says Are Offensive.” VANCE: “I certainly understand
why a lot of folks are surprised. I think a big part of it is just the way that Donald Trump
conducts himself. A lot of people feel that you can’t trust anything Hillary Clinton or Barack
Obama say, not because they necessarily lied a lot but because they sound so filtered and they
sound so rehearsed. Donald Trump, if nothing else, is relatable to the average working-class
American because he speaks off the cuff. He’s clearly unfiltered and unrehearsed. And there is
something relatable about that, even if, you know, half of the things that he says don’t make any
sense or a quarter of the things that he says are offensive. There’s something to be said about
relatability. And it’s not, you know – there’s been a lot written about how elite political
conversation is not emotionally relatable to big chunks of the country. I think that in a lot of
ways, Trump is just the first person to tap into that sense of disconnect in the way that he
conducts himself with politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
In 2016, Vance Said Trump’s Policy Proposals, “Such As They Are, Range From Immoral
To Absurd.” “Though Trump held his fire in the debate, he lit into W. on social media and in
interviews. Other candidates defended the former president. They, too, failed to understand
Trump’s appeal, how something so offensive to their political palate could be cathartic for
millions of their own voters. I quickly realized that Trump’s actual policy proposals, such as they
are, range from immoral to absurd. But as a Marine veteran who grew up in a struggling Rust
Belt town, I understand why many adore him. He tells America’s rich and powerful precisely
what we wish we could tell them ourselves: that many of the things they view as
accomplishments suck for people like us.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump Fans Feel Betrayed By G.W.
Bush,” Tulare Advance-Register, 2/18/16)
In A 2016 Op-Ed, Vance Wrote That “Trump’s Policies, Such As They Are, Offer Little
Substance To Those Suffering From Addiction, Joblessness, And Downward Mobility.”
“The institutional offshoots of this peculiar moment have monopolized the conversation. Donald
Trump is the voice of poor white America. The Black Lives Matter movement is the voice of
dispossessed blacks and their sympathizers. Yet if these voices have monopolized the
conversation, they certainly haven’t monopolized the good ideas. Trump’s policies, such as they
are, offer little substance to those suffering from addiction, joblessness, and downward
mobility.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Two Underclasses,” National Review, 8/29/16)
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Vance Said Trump’s Election Would Be “Terrible For The Country”

In 2016, Vance Claimed He Had Texted His Book Editor That Trump Winning The
Election Would Be “Terrible For The Country, But Good For Book Sales.” “During his
2016 book tour, Vance was not shy about his disdain for Trump. When NPR’s Terry Gross asked
how he planned to vote that November, he said, ‘I think that I’m going to vote third party
because I can’t stomach Trump. I think that he’s noxious and is leading the white working class
to a very dark place.’ In the course of a conversation with Vox’s Ezra Klein, he readily agreed
that Trump’s rhetoric was racially incendiary. And appearing on the podcast I hosted at the time,
Need to Know, Vance said that as the election year progressed, he became more and more
convinced that Trump could win. He had texted his book agent, he told Jay Nordlinger and me,
saying that, ‘If Trump wins it would be terrible for the country, but good for book sales.’” (Mona
Charen, “J.D. Vance Joins The Jackals,” The Bulwark, 3/17/21)
Vance Compared Trump To Heroin And Mocked MAGA As A “Quick High”

In 2016, Vance Said “What Trump Offers Is An Easy Escape From The Pain” And That
“Trump's Promises Are The Needle In America's Collective Vein.” “What Trump offers is
an easy escape from the pain. To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution. He can
bring jobs back simply by punishing offshoring companies into submission. As he told a New
Hampshire crowd-folks all too familiar with the opioid scourge-he can cure the addiction
epidemic by building a Mexican wall and keeping the cartels out. He will spare the United States
from humiliation and military defeat with indiscriminate bombing. It doesn't matter that no
credible military leader has endorsed his plan. He never offers details for how these plans will
work, because he can't. Trump's promises are the needle in America's collective vein.” (J.D. Vance,
Op-Ed, “Opioid Of The Masses,” The Atlantic, 7/4/16)
Vance Wrote That After Trump Lost “Perhaps The Nation Will Trade The Quick High Of
‘Make America Great Again’ For Real Medicine.” “I'm not sure when or how that realization
arrives: maybe in a few months, when Trump loses the election; maybe in a few years, when his
supporters realize that even with a President Trump, their homes and families are still domestic
war zones, their newspapers' obituaries continue to fill with the names of people who died too
soon, and their faith in the American Dream continues to falter. But it will come, and when it
does, I hope Americans cast their gaze to those with the most power to address so many of these
problems: each other. And then, perhaps the nation will trade the quick high of ‘Make America
Great Again’ for real medicine.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Opioid Of The Masses,” The Atlantic, 7/4/16)
Vance: “I Think In Many Ways What Trump Is Is Just Another Opioid. He Is Something
That Is Gong To Take The Pain Away, He Is Going To Make People Feel Better For A Little
While.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 7/1/16)
Vance: “But At The End Of The Day, The Problems Are Still Going To Still Be There And
Donald Trump Isn’t Going To Make Them Any Better.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 7/1/16)
Vance Called Trump “Dangerous” On Numerous Occasions
In 2016, Vance Called Trump “Dangerous.” “It's like you guys have no idea the groundswell
of support this guy has and it makes me very sad for my country, because as someone who
thinks that Donald Trump is frankly dangerous, I don't want the lesson that everyone should
learn from 2016 to not take. We may just be in a worse situation four years down the road or
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eight years down the road unless there is some recognition of what's going on on the other side
of the country.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
During A 2016 Interview, Vance Said Trump’s Campaign Rhetoric Was “Dangerous.”
INTERVIEWER: “JD, is that a dangerous movement because though it separates us into classes
rather than talking about how growth can lift everyone up? “VANCE: “I definitely think it’s
dangerous in a lot of ways. One it segregates us into classes.” (The Wall Street Journal, 8/31/16)
Vance: “So I Do Think There Is A Danger In The Way That Trump Talks About Politics
And Ultimately, I Think Fundamentally He Is Not The Right Guy For That Reason.” (The
Wall Street Journal, 8/31/16)
Vance Said Voters Were Not Attached To Trump And He Would Get “Crushed”
In 2016, Vance Said, “People Are Not That Strongly Attached To Trump” And Said
Trump Would Get “Crushed” In The General Election. “Thrush: Is there any such thing as
Trumpism after Trump? Vance: People are not that strongly attached to Trump; he is a vehicle to
attach that anger to, but they don't especially love him. He'll say something ridiculous or
offensive, and they'll be like, ‘Well, I mostly agree with him.’ But it's not a deep thing. What
happens to Trumpism after Trump depends on how the Republican Party answers after Trump
gets crushed. If it's going to answer that the party wasn't sufficiently ideological-or what you
need is a true-blue rehash of Reagan's '80 campaign-Trump's voters are going to be pissed and
find someone to project that anger onto. And then it just keeps going.” (Glenn Thrush, “What's Going
On With America's White People?” Politico, 9/12/16)
Vance In 2016: “I’ll Probably Vote Third-Party … But I’m Definitely Not Voting For
Trump. He Exacerbates The Very Worst Tendencies Of People In The Area Where I Grew
Up.” “‘I’ll probably vote third-party,’ said Vance. ‘But I’m definitely not voting for Trump. He
exacerbates the very worst tendencies of people in the area where I grew up.’” (Brent Larkin,
“Suburban Columbus Women Hold Key For Clinton In Ohio,” Plain Dealer, 9/25/16)
Vance Wrote That He “Loathed” Trump’s “Obvious Personal Character Flaws”

In 2016, Vance Wrote That He “Loathed” Trump’s “Obvious Personal Character Flaws.”
“As the son of a white, working-class family, I saw the Donald Trump phenomenon coming
sooner than most. He had captured a zeitgeist in my community, not because they loved Trump
but because they mistrusted the institutions that his opponents - Republican and Democratic -
represented. There was something sympathetic about the affinity so many felt for Trump, even
though I loathed the man's obvious personal character flaws. He was, as American film-maker
and labour activist Michael Moore recently argued, a ‘Molotov cocktail’ to throw into the inner
workings of the elite universe. The system had failed so many in my home town, and Trump was
the vehicle with which they would blow it up.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “JD Vance: The Coasts And The
'Flyover Country' - The Great US Divide,” London Evening Standard, 10/28/16)
Vance Said He Fought Against Trump

In 2016, Vance Said He Had Fought Trump “Pretty Robustly.” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR,
NEW YORK TIMES: “Well, I think it depends in large part on how Trump himself reacts to
defeat. If he reacts to a loss graciously like we all expect him to, just kidding, then he may
actually do a good service to the country and allow some healing to take place and hopefully
some constructive government down the road. But if Trump decides to go to war against the Bret
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Stephens of the Republican party, those who have fought him, folks like me who fought him
pretty robustly, then I think there's a chance that we're going to have a long-term civil war in the
Republican party where we have to figure out what we really believe.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria
GPS,” 11/6/16)
Vance: “And My View Is That Folks Like Me Would Be Smart To Repudiate The
Intellectual Leaders Of Trump But To Recognize That The Voters Of Trump Actually
Have A Lot To Be Concerned About And That's Why He's Our Candidate.” (CNN’s “Fareed
Zakaria GPS,” 11/6/16)
Vance Said Trump Was A Bad 2016 Candidate

In 2016, Vance Said If Hillary Clinton Won, It Would Have To Come With The
Recognition She Won “Because The Other Party's Candidate Was So Bad.” VANCE: “Yes.
But to Bret's point, the '90s were very good on the surface but there were already very serious
planted seeds that caused a lot of problems over the next couple of decades. And I think that
what either for Hillary Clinton to govern effectively or for Trump if he wins to govern
effectively, they need to start with a massive dose of humility. The recognition that if they won,
they won because the other party's candidate was so bad. And with that humility, hopefully, will
come some measure of constructive government. Because without it, I agree with Bret that we're
not going to have a very effective policy or politics in the next few years.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria
GPS,” 11/6/16)
Vance Said, “We Have To Reject The Rhetoric Of Trump”

In 2016, Vance Said, “We Have To Reject The Rhetoric Of Trump.” VANCE: “So it
definitely is harder to deal with these cultural issues and you look at all the metrics that are going
on, the white working class especially from the opioid epidemic to family breakdown, all of
these metrics are moving in the wrong direction. So there needs to be a recognition in our
culture, in our policy. And I think that what's important about this is that politics can be upstream
from culture. The discourse that we have as a political group definitely affects the way that our
culture changes and the way that my white working class culture responds to some of these
changes. So to Bret's point, I think we have to reject the rhetoric of Trump but we also have to
recognize that there's really complex factors that are hitting Trump's voters have to be dealt with
and have to be dealt with wisely.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” 11/6/16)
After The 2016 Election, Vance Said He Did Not Think Trump Fully Appreciated The
“Complexity Of What’s Going On”
In 2016 After Trump’s Election, Vance Said, “I Continue To Worry That Trump Didn’t Fully
Appreciate The Complexity Of What’s Going On” And Was Worried “About Whether
He’s Going To Make The Problems A Whole Lot Better.” “Still, the 32-year-old remains
somewhat nervous about the policies that Trump espoused on the campaign trail, though his
fingers are crossed. ‘Solutions are complex,’ he noted, ‘and I continue to worry that Trump
didn’t fully appreciate the complexity of what’s going on. Consequently, I worry about whether
he’s going to make the problems a whole lot better. … But I am a Republican, and we really
should give the guy a chance to govern and hope he’s successful.’” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202:
Why The Author Of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
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In February 2017, Vance Said Trump “Ran An Angry, Very Adversarial Campaign” That
Vance Added Was “Pretty Cynical.” “For the record, Vance is not a Trump fan. Trump, he
says, ‘ran an angry, very adversarial campaign that in tone matched the frustrations of the people
I wrote about. He certainly ran a pretty cynical campaign, and got a lot of votes from people who
are feeling cynical about the future.’ Vance voted for independent candidate Evan McMullin.”
(Karen Heller, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Made J.D. Vance The Voice Of The Rust Belt. But Does He Want That Job?,” The
Washington Post, 2/6/17)
Vance Criticized Trump For Creating Finger Pointing Among The White Working
Class
In 2017, Vance Criticized Trump For Changing The Focus Of The White Working Class
To Pointing The “Finger At Mexican Immigrants, Or Chinese Trade.” J.D. VANCE: “I
think that this election is really having a negative effect especially on the white working class,
right. Because I think a lot of these grievances are legitimate, but what it is doing is it`s giving
people an excuse to point the finger at someone else. Point the finger at Mexican immigrants, or
Chinese trade, or the Democratic elites or whatever else. And sometimes these villains are
legitimate. I think it`s totally fair to say that the policy elites of the Democratic Party haven`t
been totally concerned about the white working class. But at the same time, fundamentally
what`s going on and what Donald Trump has done is change the focus of the white working class
from a sort of engaged and constructive politics to a politics of pointing the finger.” (PBS’s “The
Charlie Rose Show,” 8/30/17)
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE WAS DESCRIBED AS A

‘NEVER TRUMPER’
In An October 2016 Appearance On “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance Declared He
Was “A Never Trump Guy” And “Never Liked Him”
In An October 2016 Appearance On “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance Declared He Was
“A Never Trump Guy” And “Never Liked Him.” J.D. VANCE: “Yeah, exactly. And, you
know, that feeling unfortunately if you think about the political dialogue that we’re already
starting to have, you know, both on the left and the right, there’s a movement to sort of gloat
over the fact that the elites were right about Donald Trump, right. I’m a never Trump guy. I
never liked him.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
Vance Claimed There Was A “Willingness From People Who Think A Lot Like I Do”
To Say Trump Was “Going To Be A Terrible Candidate” And “That You Were An
Idiot If You Voted For Him”
Say Trump Was “Going To Be A Terrible Candidate” And “That You Were An Idiot If
You Voted For Him.” VANCE: “And I – but I noticed this willingness from people who think a
lot like I do that, look, we told you so. To all these white working class voters, we told you so.
We told you that Trump was going to be a terrible candidate. We told you that you were an idiot
if you voted for him. The problem is if you take that attitude as sort of gloating over Trump’s
defeat. Then you’re playing into the very thing that gave rise to Trump in the first place, which is
a feeling that the elites think that they are smarter than you and just think you’re a bunch of
idiots.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
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Vance Said Trump Was Not The Best Candidate For White-Working Class Voters
Vance Said Trump Was Not The Best Candidate For White-Working Class Voters. J.D.
VANCE: “Absolutely. You think about the slogan, Make America Great Again. The implication
is that America isn’t great right now, and if you’re very unhappy about your life that’s going to
resonate.” CHARLIE ROSE: “Do you think this is a large number of people? Do you think this
is enough people to elect Donald Trump?” J.D. VANCE: “No, I don’t think it’s a large enough
people to elect Donald Trump. Obviously, the demographics of the country have changed a lot,
and the white working class community is still a pretty significant part of the electorate, but it’s
not merely enough to let Donald Trump alone. So, my fear is – you know, I think Donald Trump
is not the right candidate for this group of voters.” CHARLIE ROSE: “Who would have been?”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I don’t know that there was a single candidate who really appealed to these
voters in a way that, one, inspired them, and two, actually had a set of policies that would have
been good for them, either on the Democratic side or on the Republican side. Part of the problem
with this election is in fact that I think that the problems that are unique to some of these
working class communities don’t get a lot of attention, and maybe, you know, hopefully the
book will raise people’s awareness a little bit.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
In 2016, Vance Said He Would “Certainly Not Vote For Trump” And Said Voting For Him
Was “Unacceptable.” “Who will you choose? I will certainly not vote for Trump. I can
understand why it is popular, but I find it unacceptable.” (Hubert Wetzel, “Hillbillies,” Süddeutsche
Zeitung, 10/21/16)
• NOTE: This interview was translated from the original German to English using Google
Translate.
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE INDICATED HE BELIEVED
THE WOMEN WHO ACCUSED TRUMP OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Trump And Mocked Trump For Not Telling The Truth
Trump And Mocked Trump For Not Telling The Truth. JESSICA LEEDS, SAYS TRUMP
GROPED HER: “These are not memories that you want to go over. It has been somewhat
unnerving since Friday to be rehashing it so many times. You suppress it. It’s not part of your
active thinking every day. But you don’t forget. Somehow or other, the armrest in the seat
disappeared. And it was a real shock when, all of a sudden, his hands were all over me. He was
like an octopus. It was like he had six arms. He was all over the place. When he started putting
his hand on my skirt, and that was it. That was it. I was out of there. I wish the stewardess would
come and rescue me. And then I decided, I got up. I got my purse. And I said, I’m going back to
my seat in coach.” MATTHEWS: “What do you think of this? This is something, it’s sort of
interesting evocative of the time because of the time because we used to say stewardess first of
all. That was a flight attendant. It just gives us a sense of history. But this woman is not a
showoff. She’s just telling what happened so we can know it.” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR,
“HILLYBILLY ELEGY”: “Yes, yes. And it’s sort of - - it makes me think that at fundamental,
this is sort of he said/she said, right? And at the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump
who always tells the truth? Just kidding, or do you believe that woman on the tape? And I –”
(MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 10/12/16)
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In 2016, It Was Reported That Vance Tweeted “What Percentage Of The American
Population Has @Realdonaldtrump Sexually Assaulted?”
“In October 2016, For Example, Vance Tweeted: ‘What Percentage Of The American
Population Has @RealDonaldTrump Sexually Assaulted?’” (Jessica Wehrman, “Author’s
Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” The Columbus Dispatch, 1/12/18)
DURING THE 2016 CAMPAIGN, VANCE LINKED RACISM AND

XENOPHOBIA TO TRUMP’S BASE OF SUPPORT
Expressing Some Sort Of Racial Resentment” Were Supporting Trump
Expressing Some Sort Of Racial Resentment” Were Supporting Trump. VANCE: “Well, I
think it’s important to note that definitely some of it is about race. I don’t think you can be
honest and deny that some of it is. But I don’t think most of it’s about race. And so there’s this
interesting question about when you poll people and they express higher levels of racial
animosity or a variety of views that might be described as if not as racist at least as expressing
some sort of racial resentment, what I see in those polls is frankly that they’re following Donald
Trump, not that Donald Trump is following them.” (MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/3/16)
Vance Said It Was “Not Just That He’s Found A Way Into These Voters’ Hearts And Into
Their Political Preferences, He’s Actually I Think Leading People In A Certain Way, And
He’s Leading Our Political Discourse To A Very Negative Place”
He’s Leading Our Political Discourse To A Very Negative Place.” VANCE: “I think this is a
really important, and frankly a very unfortunate part of the Donald Trump phenomenon. It’s not
just that he’s found a way into these voters’ hearts and into their political preferences, he’s actually
I think leading people in a certain way, and he’s leading our political discourse to a very negative
place.” (MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/3/16)
Vance In 2016: “People Listen To What Their Political Leaders Are Telling Them, And My
View Is Both That Trump Is Tapping Into Some Racially Ugly Attitudes, But Also That He
Is Leading People To Racially Ugly Attitudes.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy
Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance: “I Don't Think That 60-70 Percent Of Working-Class White Voters Would Have
Supported A Muslim Ban Before Donald Trump Said Something About A Muslim Ban.”
(Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance: “There Is An Element Here Where I Think It's Not Just That Trump Is Exploiting
Something But He's Also Leading The White Working Class To A Very Dark Place.” (Isaac
Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
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Racially Insensitive Things”
Racially Insensitive Things.” “OK, but could the Trump package work with these voters if he
weren't so racist? I see what you're saying. There are people who are drawn to Trump because he
says racially insensitive things.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,”
Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance Said “50-60 Percent Of Donald Trump Supporters Don't Have Attitudes That Are
Actively Racist But Also Don't Have Attitudes That Completely Conform With Modern
Notions Of Equality.” “I think that's probably true and that's why I hope that he is soundly
defeated. I worry that this situation is only going to get worse before it gets better. The way I feel
about this is that probably 50-60 percent of Donald Trump supporters don't have attitudes that
are actively racist but also don't have attitudes that completely conform with modern notions of
equality. I think those people can be won or lost to the cause of more social integration and more
social involvement. It just depends a lot on the political media conversation. I really feel that that
conversation is failing that very large group of voters.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly
Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
In 2016, Vance Said There Was A “Significant Chunk” Of Trump Voters “Who Are Not
Racists.” VANCE: “Well, I think the press has to be nuanced in how it recognizes that there are
some parts that are racial to Donald Trump's appeal, but there are some significant chunk of his
voters and his supporters who are not racists, who are just hurting in a lot of different ways,
some economic, some social, some, like I said, seeing heroin overdoses in the newspaper. And
frankly, at the end of the day, I think Trump is probably going to lose this election, and the
biggest question is, what happens four or eight years from now what kind of conversation are we
having? And if the media wants to do right by the country, I think it should recognize that there
are legitimate hurts in these communities because if it keeps on talking about race, as if it's a
reductionist issue, as if it's the only explanation for Donald Trump's appeal, then it's going to
push a lot of good people away from the national conversation and on to places like the worst
parts of the Internet.” (CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” 8/28/16)
In 2016, When Asked About Hillary Clinton’s “Basket Of Deplorables” Statement, Vance
Said There Was An Element Of Truth In The Statement And Declared That “There Is
Definitely An Element Of Donald Trump’s Support That Has Its Basis In Racism Or
Xenophobia.” JUDY WOODRUFF: “We have been paying attention to something Hillary
Clinton said in describing Donald Trump`s followers. She called them a basket of deplorables. Is
there something to what she said, or is she completely off-base?” J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think
it’s probably both. There are definitely – there is definitely an element of Donald Trump’s
support that has its basis in racism or xenophobia. But a lot of these folks are just really
hardworking people who are struggling in really important ways. And the way that I think about
is that folks can be led by political leaders in one direction or another. They can be pushed or
pulled. And when Hillary Clinton says something like that, it strikes me that she’s pushing
people away from what she wants them to get out of her message.” (PBS’s “NewsHour,” 9/27/16)
Vance: “A Lot Of People Think Trump Is Just The First To Appeal To The Racism And
Xenophobia That Were Already There, But I Think He’s Making The Problem Worse.”
“Finally, what did watching Donald Trump’s speech last night make you think about this fall
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campaign, and the future of the country? Well, I think the speech itself was a perfect microcosm
of why I love and am terrified of Donald Trump. On the one hand, he criticized the elites and
actually acknowledge the hurt of so many working class voters. After so many years of
Republican politicians refusing to even talk about factory closures, Trump’s message is an oasis
in the desert. But of course he spent way too much time appealing to people’s fears, and he
offered zero substance for how to improve their lives. It was Trump at his best and worst. My
biggest fear with Trump is that, because of the failures of the Republican and Democratic elites,
the bar for the white working class is too low. They’re willing to listen to Trump about rapist
immigrants and banning all Muslims because other parts of his message are clearly legitimate. A
lot of people think Trump is just the first to appeal to the racism and xenophobia that were
already there, but I think he’s making the problem worse.” (Rod Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor
White People,” The American Conservative, 7/22/16)
Vance In 2016: “Racism Is Definitely A Part Of The Trump Phenomenon. And I Think To
His Great Discredit, Trump Has Not Disavowed The David Dukes Of The World As
Strongly As He Should.” (Marilou Johanek, The Blade, 9/10/16)
Vance Said He Opposed Trump Since Trump Was Encouraging His Base To Think Of
Their Fellow Citizens “As Scapegoats For All Of Their Problems. He's Taking That
Significant Portion Of The White Working Class Poor, Who Are Not Explicitly Racist, And
Pulling Them In A More Racist Direction.” “Mr. Vance, a Republican, says one reason he is
so against Donald Trump is because he's encouraging his base -- the people and community
known by the author -- to think of their fellow citizens ‘as scapegoats for all of their problems.
He's taking that significant portion of the white working class poor, who are not explicitly racist,
and pulling them in a more racist direction.’” (Marilou Johanek, The Blade, 9/10/16)
Vance: “The Trump People Are Certainly More Racist Than The Average White
Professional, But It Doesn't Strike Me That This Is The 1950s.” “Vance: I certainly think a
lot of liberals are able to see what these people are going through, but there is this weird
obsession-a preoccupation-with the belief that the Trump movement is all about racism. The
Trump people are certainly more racist than the average white professional, but it doesn't strike
me that this is the 1950s. There is a certain amount of racial resentment, but it's paired with
economic insecurity, and a willingness to believe Trump and a lot of the things that he says,
despite evidence that a lot of it isn't true. I really worry if this becomes a selffulfilling prophecy.
If he's couching what he's talking about in a racial resentment, and progressive elites are saying,
‘All these people are racist and xenophobic,’ people's attitudes are going to change and they are
going to become more racist over time. That's probably happening here. I actually think that
Donald Trump is changing the way people think about other groups of people in a very negative
way.” (Glenn Thrush, “What's Going On With America's White People?” Politico, 9/12/16)
In 2016, Vance Said, “If You Think Of The Republican Party Rhetoric, It Is Almost
Designed To Turn Off Black Voters.” J.D. VANCE: I think it’s a winning coalition. I think it’s
possible, but I just don’t think that many people have actually tried, right? I mean, if you think of
the Republican Party rhetoric, it is almost designed to turn off black voters.” (PBS’s “The Charlie
Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
In 2016, Vance Said If Trump Won, “We Could Have An Even Angrier White Working
Class That Hates The Elites Or The Mexicans Or The Chinese, Or Whoever Trump Is
Targeting, Even More.” “Suppose Trump wins after all. Then what about four years from now?
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He won't have changed or improved anything. Doesn't the frustration just grow? Clear. Problems
will get bigger no matter who is president. The question is, what do you do with people's anger
and frustration? I'm afraid Trump would do what he has done so far, which is to simply direct the
frustration and anger onto other people and groups. So after four years of Trump we could have
an even angrier white working class that hates the elites or the Mexicans or the Chinese, or
whoever Trump is targeting, even more.” (Hubert Wetzel, “Hillbillies,” Süddeutsche Zeitung, 10/21/16)
Translate.
In 2016, Vance Said Trump “Doesn't Speak To Issues Of Special Concern Of Minority
Voters Or Black Voters, It's That He Seems To Like Actively Antagonizing A Lot Of The
Black Voters.” J.D. VANCE, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGEY’ AUTHOR: “Yes, well, I think that's
absolutely right, and it's not just that Donald Trump doesn't speak to issues of special concern of
minority voters or black voters, it's that he seems to like actively antagonizing a lot of the black
voters.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 10/24/16)
Vance Said It Had Been The “Republican Party Strategy For 30 Years” And Trump
“Seems To Be Taking That Strategy Just To The Next Level.” VANCE: “Unfortunately,
that's been the Republican Party strategy for 30 years. I say that as a republican who wants the
party to get more black voters. And Trump seems to be taking that strategy just to the next level.
It shows in the polls, right, he's not going to do especially well on Election Day.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 10/24/16)
Vance Said Trump “Could Have Had A Chance With African-American Voters, But He
Never Really Tried.” LEMON: “Do you (AUDIO GAP) that Trump ever had any chance
(AUDIO GAP) voters, and did he blow it?” VANCE: “Well, I definitely think that he could have
had a chance with African-American voters, but he never really tried. You know, and other
commentators have talked about President Obama and whether House republicans have
obstructed. But at the end of the day a lot of the problems that exist in the black community, the
black/white wealth gap, the income gap and so forth, these problems are really long term. They
didn't come about during the Obama administration or the Bush administration. And so, it's not
like Donald Trump entered a vacuum where these problems were al of a sudden new. He entered
a problem where republican politics maybe could have made a difference. But he chose not to
focus on those issues. And I really it's his fault and it's going to hurt us on Election Day.” (CNN’s
“CNN Tonight,” 10/24/16)
In October 2016, Vance Said He Found Trump “Reprehensible” Because He Makes

“People I Care About Afraid,” Such As Immigrants And Muslims. “That same month, he
also said: ‘Trump makes people I care about afraid. Immigrants, Muslims, etc. Because of this I
find him reprehensible.’” (Jessica Wehrman, “Author’s Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” The
Columbus Dispatch, 1/12/18)
In 2016 After The Election, Vance Said There Was A “Racist Part Of Trump.” J.D.
VANCE: “Well, if you look at the data, I definitely think there’s a small element of it, but I
really don’t think that’s what’s driving most of these voters. If you think about their lives, you
think about, you know a lot of folks have said they’re not necessarily racist, but they’re
countenancing racism. But if you think about the opioid crisis, if you think about jobs crisis, if
you think about the number of-- of intersecting problems that are going on in these communities,
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it’s not so much that-- much that they’re countenancing racism, as if they’re saying, well, we
don’t like that racist part of Trump, but at least he’s offering us something different.” (NBC’s
“Today Show,” 11/13/16)
Vance In January 2017: “The Message Of Trump’s Campaign Was Obviously Not Super-
Appealing To Latino Americans, Black Americans And So Forth. That Really Bothered
Me.” “Q: You’re a Republican, but you didn’t vote for Trump. Why not? (Vance instead voted
for Evan McMullin, an independent candidate supported by anti-Trump conservatives.) A: A
couple of reasons. He used rhetoric that’s not in the best interest of the party or country. I happen
to think that conservatism, when properly applied to the 21st Century, could actually help
everybody. And the message of Trump’s campaign was obviously not super-appealing to Latino
Americans, black Americans and so forth. That really bothered me. In some ways even more
importantly than that, while I think Trump had clearly diagnosed very real problems, I didn’t see
any real evidence that he had much in the way of positive solutions that would address a lot of
these concerns. . . . I’m sort of taking a wait-and-see approach, but if he doesn’t [provide
solutions], that’s going to leave people in an even worse position than they were four years ago.”
(Henry J. Gomez, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Returns To Ohio To Help Working-Class Pundit,” Plain Dealer, 1/1/17)
In 2018, Vance Was Still An Opponent Of Trump, Citing His Race-Related Policies
In Early 2018, Vance Was Still A Critic Of Trump’s “Dog-Whistle” Politics Related To
Race And Immigration And Was Skeptical Of Trump’s Long-Term Strategy. “The truth is
that his politics are complicated. A year into Trump’s presidency, Vance still has an ambivalent
view of the man, melding awe and discomfort. ‘He is one of the few political leaders in America
that recognises the frustration that exists in large parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky
and so forth,’ Vance says. He has been and remains critical of Trump’s dog-whistle politics
related to race and immigration. And he is sceptical about the president’s long-term strategy.
‘The part that is forward-looking and answers the question ‘What do we do now?’ — it’s just not
there yet.’” (Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance: ‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial Times, 2/2/18)
VANCE HAS SUGGESTED THERE WAS NO SIGN OF VOTER FRAUD
IN THE 2016 ELECTION
Vance Said Voter Fraud Did Not Impact The 2016 Election And Said There Was No
Evidence Of It
In 2017, Vance Criticized The Idea That Voter Fraud Impacted The 2016 Election “In Any
Significant Way,” Claiming He Just Does Not “See The Evidence.” CAMEROTA: “I didn’t
know we were going to go so far down this rabbit hole but it has been really interesting to hear
both of you. J.D., what did you hear in President Obama’s final press conference yesterday?”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I mean, one, it was obviously a criticism of the idea that voter fraud
affected the election in any significant way, and I think that’s right. I think Sen. Santorum is right
that there are occasional cases of voter fraud but the idea that it really affects the outcomes in our
election, I just don’t see the evidence.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 1/19/17)
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VANCE ONCE IMPLIED THAT TRUMP IS PRONE TO LYING

In 2017, Vance Criticized Trump For Saying “Half-Truths Or Lies” So Frequently
“That You Stop Actually Taking The President Literally
You Stop Actually Taking The President Literally.” LEMON: “He said Barack Obama faked
his birth certificate because he was born in Africa. That’s false. We know that. He said thousands
of New Jersey Muslims were on TV celebrating 9/11, false. Ted Cruz’s father had something to
do with Lee Harvey Oswald, false. Let’s not forget the inaugural crowd size, three to five million
illegal voters, and the list goes on and on. There are some Americans who simply cannot trust
President Trump because he is a serial liar. Do you think this time that should be different given
how severe this charge is?” VANCE: “Well, I don’t know if it’s different or not. It’s certainly a
pretty severe charge but I think you get to a point with President Trump where to take a phrase
that Salena coined, you start to take him not literally anymore. And that’s something obviously
Devin Nunes say today during a press conference, which is a pretty striking admission from a
republican leader of Congress to say that these half-truths or lies get to such a point and they’re
uttered so frequently that you stop actually taking the president literally. That’s a pretty striking
thing for a guy like Devin to say.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
VANCE APPEARED TO BE CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S COMMENTS
SURROUNDING THE EVENTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Following The Charlottesville Protests, Vance Said Trump “Really Missed An
Opportunity To Name This Phenomenon And Gives People A Sense Where It Comes
From And Show The Moral Leadership People Want From A President”
The Moral Leadership People Want From A President.” BLITZER: “What actually -- get
your reaction to the way President Trump has handled this since saturday. The initial statement
didn't specifically name the KKK, anti-Semites, didn't mention the white supremacists, none of
that by name. He did yesterday. What do you think are the way he's handled this?” VANCE: “I
think the president really missed an opportunity to name this phenomenon and gives people a
sense where it comes from and show the moral leadership people want from a president. The
thing that's important for folks from my political side, the conservative side of the aisle, have to
keep in mind that a lot of the people who feel physically threatened by white supremacists, not
people angry by it, the people who see it get upset by it, that's all of us. The people who feel
physically threatened by it are, by and large, not those who voted for Donald Trump. When they
look to that movement, I think the president needs to show leadership saying you may not have
voted for me but I'm coming out to deplore and criticize that particular movement as strongly as I
would if it was on the other side of the political spectrum. Many a lot felt the president could
have spoken to that. Unfortunately, by not naming it what it was, white supremacism, he missed
an opportunity.” (CNN, 8/15/17)
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Vance: “I Think The President Missed An Opportunity Over The Weekend. Hopefully, An
Opportunity He Will Take Advantage Of Today To Name This Enemy To Describe It And
Then Tell The Country What We Need To Do To Defeat It”
Then Tell The Country What We Need To Do To Defeat It.” JEFF GLOR: “J.D., from-- from
your vantage point right now, what should the President be doing?” J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think
it is really important for the President to name this particular phenomenon. If you think about all
of the controversy about whether Barack Obama said radical Islamic terrorism, there is a real
human need for people to have their enemies named and described by their political leaders. And
I think the President missed an opportunity over the weekend. Hopefully, an opportunity he will
take advantage of today to name this enemy to describe it and then tell the country what we need
to do to defeat it.” (CBS’s “This Morning,” 8/14/17)
Vance Said Trump Was “Ambivalent Or Too Cautious About Coming Out And
Criticizing” Racism And Nazism
Criticizing” Racism And Nazism. VANCE: “Yes, absolutely. If I was President Trump in this
situation, I'd spike the football. This is one of the things that really unites the entire country.
Racism is bad. Nazism is bad. We fought a war to defeat Nazism. And the president should not
just be -- there's a sense in which he's ambivalent or too cautious about coming out and
criticizing this stuff.” (CNN, 8/15/17)
Vance Said Trump Failing To Unite The Country Following Charlottesville Was A
“Missed Opportunity”
“Missed Opportunity.” VANCE: “Well, I think it is his charge and I do think that he can do
that. Obviously, it's question of whether he chooses to. What really bothers me about last
weekend is that if you think about how divided this country is along virtually every dimension,
the one thing or one of the few things that really unites us is the idea that Nazis are bad. I mean,
we are the country whose grandparents defeated the Nazis. And so, the fact this provides an
opportunity for the president to go and say this is the thing that should really unite us together,
and it was a missed opportunity. He chose not to name that enemy. He chose not to make it about
what unifies us as a country. I do think it's a missed opportunity and it will continue to be a
missed opportunity.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 8/15/17)
EARLY IN THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY, VANCE INDICATED TRUMP
WAS FAILING ON HIS LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
In 2017, Vance Said, “I Think You Hear From A Lot Of Different People If You’re On
The Ground In These Areas Talking To People Is A Broad Recognition That Things
Aren’t Going Fantastically Well Right Now” Regarding Trump’s Legislative Priorities
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Going Fantastically Well Right Now” Regarding Trump’s Legislative Priorities. J.D.
VANCE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Well, I think it’s a little of both, like some of the folks you
talk to said he has a long leash, right? Folks aren’t going to abandon him in six months. They’re
going to give him a little time to accomplish his agenda. But what you hear, I think you hear
from a lot of different people if you’re on the ground in these areas talking to people is a broad
recognition that things aren’t going fantastically well right now. And whether going well comes
in the form of a big legislative win, whether it means another big victory that Trump can sort of
pin his hat on, there is a recognition that folks think that the president could do a little better.
And if that persists over the next couple of years, and I do think he will lose not all of his base,
but he’ll lose some people. And in a state like Michigan, where he won by 11,000 votes, losing
some could be the difference between re-election and not.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
Vance: “Even Though You See Unemployment Numbers Doing Reasonably Well, What’s
Happening In Places Like The Industrial Midwest, In Michigan And Ohio, Is That The
Economic Recovery Still Hasn’t Fully Set In”
Economic Recovery Still Hasn’t Fully Set In.” VANCE: “Well, there are a couple of things.
The first is that even if the economy is going broadly well, obviously that economy doing well
doesn’t reach across all sectors of the country. And so, even though you see unemployment
numbers doing reasonably well, what’s happening in places like the industrial Midwest, in
Michigan and Ohio, is that the economic recovery still hasn’t fully set in.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,”
8/4/17)
Really Materialized”
Really Materialized.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
Vance Noted There Was A “Sense That The President Just Isn’t Able To Deliver”
Vance Noted There Was A “Sense That The President Just Isn’t Able To Deliver.”
VANCE: “And so, when people see the president really going after a major health care reform
effort, and then failing, and when people are still obviously frustrated about the way the health
care system is working right now, that leads to this sense that the president just isn’t able to
deliver.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
VANCE, AT TIMES, APPEARED DISMISSIVE OF EFFORTS TO
HIGHLIGHT FRAUD IN THE 2020 ELECTION
After The 2020 Election, Vance Said People Questioning The 2020 Election Results
Would Not Become Violent And Also Said Biden Would Be Inaugurated
In November 2020, Vance Said He Did Not See The People Protesting Biden’s Win Would
Become “Violent Or Chaotic.” VANCE: “We’re three weeks after the election and there are
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these legal challenges working their way through the courts. And people are just preoccupied that
Trump needs to accept the legitimacy of the election. I think that hypocrisy, the fact that nobody
accepted his election and we’re supposed to accept the election so quickly after its done causes
some real frustration. I don’t think – you look at the last three weeks, you have had a lot of court
filings, you’ve had a lot of peaceful protests, had a lot of people complaining on social media, but
really I don’t see any reason to think that this is going to become violent or chaotic.” (The Megyn
Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
Vance: “Frankly, I Don’t Think These Are The Sorts Of People Who Are Going To Go
Burn Up Stores And Set Cars On Fire And Make Life A Living Hell For Everybody.”
VANCE: “People certainly feel that they need to fight and they need to see this through to the
end. I think they are supportive of the President continuing the litigation. But frankly, I don’t
think these are the sorts of people who are going to go burn up stores and set cars on fire and
make life a living hell for everybody.” (The Megyn Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
Vance: “I Think When Biden Is Inaugurated People Will More Or Less Accept It And It
Will Be On To The Next Fight.” (The Megyn Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
VANCE SERVED WITH THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE –
AN ORGANIZATION WITH TIES TO TRUMP CRITICISM
In 2019, Vance Was Announced By Yuval Levin As A Part-Time Visiting Scholar At
The American Enterprise Institute
In 2019, Vance Was Announced By Yuval Levin As A Part-Time Visiting Scholar At The
American Enterprise Institute. “American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Resident Scholar Yuval
Levin, who directs the Institute’s recently launched Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies
research division, announced today that several resident and nonresident scholars will be joining
AEI to pursue important research work. … In addition, five new scholars will join AEI in part-
time visitor capacities to pursue scholarly projects: … J.D. Vance is a writer, activist, investor,
and author of “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” (Harper, 2016).”
(American Enterprise Institute, “AEI Announces New Scholars In Its Social, Cultural, And Constitutional Studies
Research Division,” Press Release, 8/21/19)
In 2021, Levin Criticized Trump For Promoting “Fraud Conspiracies” That Trump
Actually Won The Election
In 2021, Levin Criticized Trump For Promoting “Fraud Conspiracies” That Trump
Actually Won The Election. “President Trump himself has obviously encouraged them in this
course. He is deeply fluent in the fraud conspiracies, and seems genuinely to believe them — as
he has often shown himself incapable of separating fact from fiction too. We now also know that
he has tried to get state officials to steal votes for him even as he claims the Democrats stole
them away. He is intent on talking a different reality into being and demands that others accept
it. To abide and encourage the election-fraud conspiracies is to affirm the web of lies he has been
spinning, and the Republican politicians who have chosen to do that know full well that this is
what it means. To knowingly pretend a lie is true is, simply put, to lie. Doing that carefully
enough to let you claim you’re only raising questions only makes it even clearer that you know
you’re lying. Lying to people is no way to speak for them or represent them. It is a way of
showing contempt for them, and of using them rather than being useful to them. This is what too
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many Republican politicians have chosen to do in the wake of the election. They have decided to
feign anger at a problem that cannot be solved because it does not exist, and this cannot help but
make them less capable of taking up real problems on behalf of their voters. And in any case, it
makes them cynical liars.” (Yuval Levin, Op-Ed, “Failures of Leadership in a Populist Age,” National Review,
1/4/21)
Following The 2021 Attack On The Capitol, Levin Criticized Trump In The Dispatch
And Wrote That “Trump Almost Fully Inhabits A Boorish, Narcissistic Psychodrama
Playing In His Head”
Following The 2021 Attack On The Capitol, Levin Criticized Trump In The Dispatch And
Wrote That “Trump Almost Fully Inhabits A Boorish, Narcissistic Psychodrama Playing
In His Head.” “Like so much of what Trump has wrought, the attack on the Capitol had the feel
of fiction, and even many of the people involved seemed to be playing out a fantasy in their
heads, living in a world in which sinister forces had stolen the election from their lion-hearted
hero and they had come to set things straight by a show of strength. It’s all a lie, every part of it,
yet the actions taken by the crowd were very real, and very dangerous. There has always been
something of this unreality about Trump’s behavior in the presidency. From the very beginning,
it has seemed that Trump almost fully inhabits a boorish, narcissistic psychodrama playing in his
head. Through the power of his personality and celebrity, he has been able to draw others into
that fantasy world for decades, and through the power of the presidency he has now been able to
project it onto the real world and draw yet more followers into it.” (Yuval Levin, Op-Ed, “Trump’s
Rebellion Against Reality,” The Dispatch, 1/7/21)
VANCE IS AN ALUM OF THE WEBSITE FORMERLY RUN BY DAVID

FRUM - A KNOWN NEVER TRUMPER
Vance Is A Former Writer For FrumForum, An Online Forum Founded By David
Frum
Vance Is A Former Writer For FrumForum, An Online Forum Founded By David Frum.
(David Frum Twitter, 6/29/16)
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Vance Wrote Under Hamel At FrumForum

Vance Wrote Under Hamel At FrumForum. (FrumForum Website, Accessed February 2024)
(FrumForum Website, Accessed February 2024)
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In The Acknowledgments Of Hillbilly Elegy, Vance Thanked Frum

In The Acknowledgments Of Hillbilly Elegy, Vance Thanked Frum. “I've been fortunate, too,
to have mentors and friends of incredible ability, each of whom ensured that I had access to
opportunities I simply didn't deserve. They include: Ron Selby, Mike Stratton, Shannon Arledge,
Shawn Haney, Brad Nelson, David Frum, Matt Johnson, Judge David Bunning, Reihan Salam,
Ajay Royan, Fred Moll, and Peter Thiel. Many of these folks read versions of the manuscript and
provided critical feedback.” (J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, p. 267)
Frum, A Former Speechwriter For George W. Bush, Is “One Of The Best Known
Never Trumpers” Who “Made His Break With The GOP Long Before Trump”
Frum, A Former Speechwriter For George W. Bush, Is “One Of The Best Known Never
Trumpers” Who “Made His Break With The GOP Long Before Trump.” “David Frum, a
former speechwriter for George W. Bush and current staff writer at The Atlantic, is one of the
best known Never Trumpers, but he’s also an exception, having made his break with the GOP
long before Trump.” (David Klion, “David Frum’s Hold Over The Center,” New Republic, 5/29/20)
VANCE HAS TIES TO VARIOUS ADDITIONAL TRUMP-ANTAGONISTS
Vance Has Said He Is “Good Friends” With Mike DeWine
In 2018, Vance Said He Was “Good Friends” With Mike DeWine. VANCE: “And in - in poll
after poll and person after person that I've talked to, you know, I'm good friends with Mike
DeWine who luckily eked out a win in the Ohio Governor's race, the - the consistent theme is
that that Republican healthcare bill actually put a little bit of a millstone around Republicans
running in the industrial Midwest.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 11/23/18)
In 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Expressing His Support For Mike DeWine
In December 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Expressing His Support For Mike DeWine.
(Vance Profile, Twitter, 12/28/23)
Vance Endorsed DeWine For Governor In 2018

In 2018, Vance Endorsed Mike DeWine For Governor Of Ohio, Calling Him “The Leader
With The Vision And Experience To Lead Ohio.” “J.D. Vance, author of the bestselling book
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‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ endorsed Attorney General Mike DeWine for governor at a Saturday opioid
panel discussion in Dayton. DeWine, who is seeking the Republican nomination, sat on a panel
at the Cornerstone Project which does outpatient treatment, was joined by his running mate Jon
Husted, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer, and Mike Ward, founder of the Cornerstone
Project. ‘The fact that he has made his 12-point action plan to end the opioid epidemic the
centerpiece of his campaign shows that Mike DeWine is the leader with the vision and
experience to lead Ohio,’ Vance, a Middletown native, said in a statement following the panel.”
(Kaitlin Schroeder, “'Hillbilly Elegy' Author Endorses DeWine,” Dayton Daily News, 4/7/18)
Vance Has Previous Ties To Notorious Trump Critic John Kasich

Vance Is Advised By A Former Top Aide To Gov. John Kasich
In 2016, Vance Planned To Start A Nonprofit With Jai Chabria, A Former Kasich Adviser.
“The name and exact nature of the organization remain undetermined, but Vance will be working
with Jai Chabria, a top political adviser to Gov. John Kasich and now manager of a public
strategy firm in Columbus.” (Alan Johnson, “Voters Went After Change, Author Says,” The Columbus
Dispatch, 11/13/16)
Vance Previously Supported Notorious Trump Critic John McCain

In 2008, Vance Participated In An Al Jazeera Panel Of OSU Students In Support Of Sen.
John McCain’s 2008 Campaign, Praising McCain’s “Political Courage” While Calling On
Him To Make “More Of A Distinction” From Obama On “Big Picture, Philosophical
Issues.” “Al Jazeera English, the third-largest English language international news network,
came to Eddie George’s Grill 27 Tuesday. The network hosted a panel of Ohio State students,
who watched and discussed the second debate between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain.
… ‘I heard what I needed to hear,’ said J.D. Hamel, a senior in political science and philosophy,
after the debate. A staunch McCain supporter, Hamel said the Arizona senator’s ‘political
courage’ had earned him his support, but wished McCain would have ‘made more of a
distinction (from Obama) on big picture, philosophical issues.’” (Wilson Dizard, “Al Jazeera Comes To
OSU,” The Lantern, 10/9/08)
VANCE HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED AS A MODERATE

WITH DEMOCRAT TENDENCIES
Government Has No Role In Fixing” Societal Problems
Government Has No Role In Fixing” Societal Problems. VANCE: “I think the criticism of the
book as this sort of libertarian manifesto is unfair for a couple of reasons. One, because I think
I’m criticizing a lot of libertarian arguments for why these problems exist and two, I’m frankly
not a libertarian in the sense that I think government has no role in fixing these problems. I just
think that the government’s role has been overemphasized so I decided to emphasize something
else.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
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In 2017, The American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner Said That At A Recent Conference
He Attended With Vance, Vance “Sounded Almost Like A Democrat”
In 2017, The American Prospect’s Robert Kuttner Said That At A Recent Conference He
Attended With Vance, Vance “Sounded Almost Like A Democrat.” “But J.D. Vance is far
from Bannon. Indeed, he could well the anti-Bannon. He may appeal to same white working
class demographic that Bannon does, but Vance is a serious and sober person, and his views
have evolved since he wrote that book. At the conference, he sounded almost like a Democrat.
Vance is also the opposite of Bannon in that he displays modesty and intellectual curiosity, while
Bannon displays a know-nothing swagger and cheap jingoism.” (Robert Kuttner, “J.D. Vance:
Republican Presidential Nominee In 2032?” The American Prospect, 11/21/17)
In 2017, Vance Was Described As A “Moderate Republican”

In 2017, Vance Was Described As A “Moderate Republican.” “Vance, a moderate
Republican and a scholar in residence in Ohio State’s Department of Political Science, has been
hitting the Republican circuit in Ohio, speaking at Lincoln Day dinners and at other gatherings.”
(Mark Ferenchik, “Columbus Author Draws Crowds, Questions About Political Future,” Dayton Daily News,
8/1/17)
VANCE PREVIOUSLY HEAPED PRAISE UPON HILLARY CLINTON

Vance Praised The 2016 Democratic National Convention While Criticizing The
Republican Convention
In 2016, Vance Wrote That The Democratic National Convention Was “A Celebration Of
America’s Promise” And Said The “Cynical Flavor Of Last Week’s Republican
Convention In Cleveland Bore Little Resemblance.” “This week, the Democrats have
gathered in Philadelphia, and though much drama undoubtedly remains, their convention has
already struck an upbeat tone. Hillary Clinton earned the endorsement of her chief rival,
something Trump failed to do. And in some ways, the Democratic convention itself has been a
celebration of America’s promise: The first lady, in an implicit shot at Trump, argued eloquently
that America is already great; Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, striking high notes of optimism,
promised the delegates that ‘we will rise’; and former president Bill Clinton offered a folksy,
loving tribute to his wife. The cynical flavor of last week’s Republican convention in Cleveland
bore little resemblance.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Hey Democrats, Do More Than Talk,” USA Today, 7/28/16)
Vance Said There Was A Chance He Would Vote For Clinton If Trump Had A Chance
To Win
In 2016, Vance Joked That He “Might Write In My Dog” And Said There Was A Chance
He Would “Hold My Nose” And Vote For Hillary Clinton If Trump Had A Chance To
Win. GROSS: “...What are you going to do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE:
“My current plan is to vote either third party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog
because that’s about as good as it seems. But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like
Trump has a really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for
Hillary Clinton. But at the end of the day, I just feel like she is so culturally disconnected from
the people that I grew up around that it would be very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for
her.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
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In The Same Interview, Vance Said He Planned To Vote For Third Party Candidate Evan
McMullin, Someone “I Really Like,” Since He Couldn’t “Stomach Trump.” GROSS:
“...What are you going to do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE: “My current plan
is to vote either third party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog because that’s
about as good as it seems. But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like Trump has a
really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton.
But at the end of the day, I just feel like she is so culturally disconnected from the people that I
grew up around that it would be very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for her. So ultimately I
think I’ll probably vote third party. I might vote for this new guy who I really like, Evan
McMullin, who I actually met the other day. But I think that I’m going to vote third party
to a very dark place. And ultimately I just don’t share Hillary Clinton’s politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh
Air,” 8/17/16)
In An Op-Ed, Vance Recalled A Time In His Life When He “Admired President

Clinton”
In 2017, Vance Praised President Bill Clinton, Recalling How He—As A Young Man—
"Admired President Clinton In A Way That Happens When Someone Like You Really
Makes It.” “I wasn't sophisticated enough to have an opinion on that topic, though I watched the
impeachment proceedings like an interested spectator at a sporting event. My politics had started
to drift to the right of my family, many of them classic blue dog Democrats. Still, I admired
President Clinton in a way that happens when someone like you really makes it. … Yet it was
that very relatability that made Mr. Clinton's personal failings frightening. The data shows that
working-class families like mine face much higher rates of marital strife and domestic instability.
Demons like Mr. Clinton's had haunted my home and family for generations, and at an age when
I first began to develop strong feelings about my future, I knew that I wanted to outrun them. I
cared little for Mr. Clinton's elite education, his economic success or even his ascendancy to the
most powerful office in the world. I cared that he had managed to build the domestic tranquillity
that he lacked as a child. But here, in one sex scandal, he had blown it all up. If a man of his
abilities had done this, then what hope was there for me?” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And
Me,” The New York Times, 1/2/17)
Vance: “As My Grandmother Told Me, Presidents Were Almost Always Rich People, But
Bill Clinton Was One Of Us.” “He was a poor boy with a vaguely Southern accent, raised by a
single mother with a heavy dose of loving grandparents. As my grandmother told me, presidents
were almost always rich people, but Bill Clinton was one of us.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama
And Me,” The New York Times, 1/2/17)
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY HEAPED PRAISE UPON BARACK OBAMA

Vance Has Praised Obama For Offering “Hope” And Said He Would “Miss Him” As
Obama Was Leaving Office
In 2017—While Obama Was Still President—Vance Said He Had “Personal Admiration
For The President.” CAMEROTA: “But, J.D., it’s always interesting to talk to you because of
your book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ where your family sort of personifies the working class in the Rust
Belt that turned away from Democrats in this election and voted for Donald Trump. So, what do
you think all of your folks are feeling at the end of President Obama’s eight years? VANCE:
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“Well, I think a lot of them share my personal admiration for the president, and a lot of folks are
looking to turn the page politically. I think one of the failures of the Obama years is the failure to
recognize I think both from Democrats and Republicans this sense of real existential crisis that a
lot of Americans feel. And if you think of the last 15 or so years of politics this way that we sort
of have these big swing elections from one party to the other and I think we are in the middle of
that, we’re in the middle of a very long political moment where folks are very, very unhappy
with how things are going and are constantly looking to turn the page. And I think that is one of
the legacies of the president is that he lived in this moment where there was this constant swing
first to him and to his party, but now away from him and away from his party.” (CNN’s “New Day,”
1/10/17)
In A 2017 New York Times Op-Ed, Vance Called President Obama “An Admirable Man,”
Calling It “One Of The Great Failures Of Recent Political History” That The GOP Was
Not Able To Overcome Their “Legitimate Political Disagreements” With Him. “It is one of
the great failures of recent political history that the Republican Party was too often unable to
disconnect legitimate political disagreements from the fact that the president himself is an
admirable man. Part of this opposition comes from this uniquely polarized moment in our
politics, part of it comes from Mr. Obama's leadership style -- more disconnected and cerebral
than personal and emotive -- and part of it (though a smaller amount than many on the left
suppose) comes from the color of his skin.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And Me,” The New York
Times, 1/2/17)
• The New York Times Op-Ed Headline: “Barack Obama And Me” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed,
“Barack Obama And Me,” The New York Times, 1/2/17)
While Expressing His Past Differences With Obama, Vance Noted That Obama’s
“Example Offered Something No Other Public Figure Could: Hope.” “I suspected that there
were skeletons lurking in his closet, too. Surely this was a man with a secret sex addiction, or at
least an alcohol problem. I secretly guessed that before the end of his term, some major personal
scandal would reveal his family life to be a sham. I disagreed with many of his positions, so
perhaps a dark part of me wanted such a scandal to come out. But it never came. He and his wife
treated each other with clear love and respect, and he adored and cared for his children.
Whatever scars his childhood left, he refused to let those scars control him. The president's
example offered something no other public figure could: hope. I wanted so desperately to have
what he had -- a happy marriage and beautiful, thriving children. But I thought that those things
belonged to people unlike me, to those who came from money and intact nuclear families. For
the rest of us, past was destiny. Yet here was the president of the United States, a man whose
history looked something like mine but whose future contained something I wanted. His life
stood in stark contrast to my greatest fear.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And Me,” The New York
Times, 1/2/17)
Vance: “For At A Pivotal Time In My Life, Barack Obama Gave Me Hope That A Boy
Who Grew Up Like Me Could Still Achieve The Most Important Of My Dreams. For That,
I'll Miss Him, And The Example He Set.” “On Jan. 20, the political side of my brain will
breathe a sigh of relief at Mr. Obama's departure. I will hope for better policy from the new
administration, a health reform package closer to my ideological preferences, and a new
approach to foreign policy. But the child who so desperately wanted an American dream, with a
happy family at its core will feel something different. For at a pivotal time in my life, Barack
Obama gave me hope that a boy who grew up like me could still achieve the most important of
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my dreams. For that, I'll miss him, and the example he set.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And
Vance: “I Continue To Think The Racial Explanation Of The Reaction To Obama Doesn't
Quite Capture How Much Everything About Him Is Both Enviable But Also Dislikable.
Because We Dislike The Things That We Envy.” “Vance plays down this explanation, but I
bring up a line in his book that seems to hint at a racially toned resentment. ‘Obama,’ he writes,
‘strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities’. ‘I think that Obama is everything that the
American meritocracy values at a time when a lot of us feel like the American meritocracy
doesn't value very much about us at all,’ he explains. ‘It is just sort of like everything about him.
He's like the American ideal at the very moment that we feel like we're the opposite of the
American ideal.’ He adds: ‘The natural question that comes - especially in the modern political
context as part of that - is the fact he has black skin. I think for some people that's definitely part
of it. But I continue to think the racial explanation of the reaction to Obama doesn't quite capture
how much everything about him is both enviable but also dislikable. Because we dislike the
things that we envy.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD Vance On Barack Obama: 'We Dislike The
Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
Vance Characterized Obama’s “Guns And Religion” Comment As “Well-Intentioned”

In 2016, Vance Called Obama’s “Guns And Religion” Comment “Well-Intentioned” But
“Layered With A Certain Amount Of Condescension.” J.D. VANCE: “Yeah. So I think there
is precious little dialogue between these two big cultural segments of America. Sort of middle
America, fly over country, whatever you want to call it. You know, Donald Trump has become
their sort of representative and they’re very proud.” ROSE: “And the trouble in Pennsylvania...”
VANCE: “Exactly.” ROSE: “... in 2008.” VANCE: “Sure, for saying that folks cling to their guns
and religion, right?” ROSE: “Yes.” VANCE: “Which I think was a well-intentioned comments,
right? He mentioned that folks were struggling economically and that was his explanation. But it
was sort of layered with a certain amount of condescension. You don’t – you know, adults that
you respect don’t clings to things, you might have said a much different way and I don’t think the
comment would have had nearly the effect that it did if he’d said it in a much more compassionate
way.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
Vance Claimed Some White Working-Class Voters Supported Trump Because Of A
Racially Motived Backlash To Obama
In 2017, Vance Disputed Claims That White Working-Class Voters Supported Trump
Because Of A Racially-Motivated Backlash Against Barack Obama. “‘Trump’s election was
seen, at least in part, as a backlash from white, working-class voters frustrated at their relative
decline in status in America – symbolized, of course, by its first black president. Vance plays
down this explanation, but I bring up a line in his book that seems to hint at a racially toned
resentment. ‘Obama,’ he writes, ‘strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities.’ ‘I think that
Obama is everything that the American meritocracy values at a time when a lot of us feel like the
American meritocracy doesn’t value very much about us at all,’ he explains. ‘It is just sort of like
everything about him. He’s like the American ideal at the very moment that we feel like we’re
the opposite of the American ideal.’ He adds: ‘The natural question that comes – especially in
the modern political context as part of that – is the fact he has black skin. I think for some people
that’s definitely part of it. But I continue to think the racial explanation of the reaction to Obama
doesn’t quite capture how much everything about him is both enviable but also dislikable.
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Because we dislike the things that we envy.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD Vance On Barack
Obama: 'We Dislike The Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
Vance Said That Trump Was More Relatable Than Obama, Because Obama “Talks In A
Way That A Professor Talks” While “Trump Talks Like A Guy At A Bar In West
Virginia.” “There is an arrogance to Obama’s demeanour, he adds, that makes him especially
difficult to relate to. ‘He talks in a way that a professor talks, he talks in a way that you sort of
aspire to talk if you’re a young law student. Trump talks like a guy at a bar in West Virginia.
Trump talks like my dad sitting around the dinner table.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD
Vance On Barack Obama: 'We Dislike The Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
VANCE HAS PRAISED DEMOCRATIC-SOCIALIST BERNIE SANDERS

Vance Said Bernie Sanders Was His Favorite Democrat Running In The 2020
Democrat Primary
In 2019, Vance Said His Three Favorite Democrats In Order In Terms Of Policy Outcomes
Were Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, And Tulsi Gabbard. VANCE: “So I did this event
at the Yale Federalist Society recently where they asked me for my three favorite Democrats
purely in terms of policy outcomes. And I said in order, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and
Tulsi Gabbard.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 26:24-26:48)
Vance: “And The Reason Is That, One, I Think Those Are The Three Candidates Who Are
The Least Crazy On The Cultural Issues In The Democratic Party And Two, I Think
Those Are The Candidates Least Likely To Start A Stupid War In The Democratic Party.”
(The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 26:24-26:48)
Vance Said That Three Years Before His 2019 Comments, He Said If Sanders Ran Against
Trump In 2020, Sanders Would Win. VANCE: “I think I said this publicly three years ago that
I thought Trump would run against Bernie in 2020 and I thought if he did, Bernie would win. I
think that’s a real possibility.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 31:25-31:35)
Vance Predicted That Trump Was Part Of A Political Realignment That Would
Position Trump And Bernie Sanders On The Same Side In 20 Years
In 2017, Vance Claimed That Trump Was Part Of A Political Realignment, Predicting
That “In 20 Years” Trump And Sen. Bernie Sanders Would Be In The Same Party, While
Paul Ryan And Hillary Clinton Would Be In A Different Party. “This writer pressed Vance
on how to gauge the Trumpian upheaval that has gripped the capitol and filled airports and
public squares with protesters this past week. Vance described an ongoing conversation with
Michael Lind, cofounder of the New America Foundation, and a contributor to Politico. ‘He
argued something that earned a lot of scorn and a lot of derision, but he said basically what we’re
witnessing is a political realignment, which we haven’t seen since the 1930s,’ Vance explained.
Then came this jawdropper: ‘In 20 years, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders will be in the same
party. And in 20 years, Hillary Clinton and Paul Ryan will be in the same party. I think that is
very, very interesting and that shift will be a big part of where we go over the next 20 or 30
years.’ During the Indiana presidential primary, Hoosiers witnessed both Trump and Sanders
insisting that the economic and political systems were ‘rigged.’ Both used the Carrier and United
Technology job flight to Mexico as evidence. But on the ideological spectrum, they were
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approaching the vortex seemingly 180 degrees apart.” (Brian Howey, “Trump Ushers In A Political
Realignment,” Journal Review, 2/4/17)
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ONCE INDICATED THAT JOE BIDEN

COULD HAVE BEAT TRUMP IN 2016
In 2016, Vance Said Biden “Could Have Done A Lot Better” Than Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Vance Said Biden “Could Have Done A Lot Better” Than Hillary Clinton.
LEMON: “And I misspoke. That was July. That wasn't today. So what's the issue there and
would Biden have done a better you think?” VANCE: “I think Biden could have done a lot better
because he at least recognized that there's a lot of pain in these communities and what the vice
president said there is very true, that a lot of voters feels so ignored that there was a relatively
low bar. All they wanted was somebody who recognized that they were struggling and who
really sold a political agenda, a political narrative that was tailored to them. Trump was the only
guy that did that this election cycle.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/9/16)
FOLLOWING THE END OF TRUMP’S PRESIDENCY, VANCE PRAISED

TRUMP’S POLICY AND WAS AN ACTIVE SUPPORTER OF HIS 2020
RE-ELECTION
Vance In 2021: I “Ultimately Pulled The Trigger And Encouraged A Lot Of My
Friends To … Pull The Lever For Donald Trump In 2020”
Vance In 2021: I “Ultimately Pulled The Trigger And Encouraged A Lot Of My Friends
To … Pull The Lever For Donald Trump In 2020.” VANCE: “Yeah. That’s- that’s- that’s
exactly right actually. And you know, 1 of the interesting things about you know, you- you think
about my trajectory, you know, I was an investor working in California when Trump was
running. I was you know, this book had just come out. I- I was sort of anti-Trump and you know,
didn’t really think about politics. Obviously, I was in California so my vote didn’t count that
much. And so, I- I wrote somebody in in California and then you know, got more and more
supportive of the president and ultimately pulled the trigger and encouraged a lot of my friends
to pull uh, you know, pull- pull the lever for Donald Trump in 2020.” (Sebastian Gorka,
“Reinvigorating America’s Heartland: J.D. Vance Talks With Sebastian Gorka,” American Greatness, 3/10/21)
Become A Trump Supporter”
Become A Trump Supporter.” VANCE: “And you know, wa- 1 of the interesting things
people always ask me ‘What- what changed? You know, what did you learn in those 4 years?’
And I think the easy stock answer is well, I didn’t think the policy was going to be that good and
the policy was much better than it was than I thought it was going to be. I was really happy with
the policy. And so, that’s what caused me to become a Trump supporter. And I- I think the- the
actual answer for me is- is much more- is much more, you know, from the gut. It’s that in 2016, I
was a kid who is being at an just a fundamental level recruited into the American Elite. I was
invited to all of these circles. (Sebastian Gorka, “Reinvigorating America’s Heartland: J.D. Vance Talks With
Sebastian Gorka,” American Greatness, 3/10/21)
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Vance Has Attacked Trump’s Ban From Social Media Outlets

In 2021, Vance Criticized Facebook And Twitter’s Decision To Ban Donald Trump’s
Accounts, Say It Was “Censorship” That No Only Threatened Trump’s Speech, But Also
The “75 Million People That Voted For Trump In 2020.” INGRAHAM: “Trump came along
and said it doesn't have to be this way, and now he is suddenly shut off Twitter and Facebook.
And they are relishing squelching his freedom of speech.” VANCE: “That's exactly right. And of
course, it's not just about President Trump. It's also about his voters. If you are a supporter, if
you're one of those 75 million people that voted for Trump in 2020, you recognize that the
censorship that's directed against him can be and has been directed against you, either through
firings, either through shadow banning or Twitter just making it impossible for you to post. And
so these things influence and affect the broader public discourse in this country.” (Fox News’
“Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
Vance Blasted Calls From Democrats To Hold Former Trump Administration

Officials Accountable After He Left Office
In 2020, Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich Called For A “Truth And
Reconciliation Commission” When Trump Left Office. “When this nightmare is over, we
need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It would erase Trump’s lies, comfort those who
have been harmed by his hatefulness, and name every official, politician, executive, and media
mogul whose greed and cowardice enabled this catastrophe.” (Robert Reich Twitter Feed, 10/17/20)
Wanting “Revenge” Rather Than Truth And Reconciliation
Wanting “Revenge” Rather Than Truth And Reconciliation. CARLSON: “J.D. Vance is the
author of the book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ We're always happy to have him on the show, J.D., great to
see you. So it's strikes me that one of the many ironies here is that a lot of people, maybe a lot of
higher income voters want the chaos to end, they want something calmer, so -- and they want --
they do want like actual reconciliation, which is good, and so they're voting for Biden in the
hope of that. His supporters calling for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission doesn't sound
like a first step toward reconciliation to me.” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGY’:
“No, it doesn't, Tucker, and this really is, like you said, torn from a page out of a George Orwell
novel because there's -- you know, who can protest truth or reconciliation? But a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission would not be about truth and it wouldn't be about reconciliation, it
would be about revenge.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 10/19/20)
Vance: “Instead Of Trying To Win The Next Election And Moving On With The Life Of
American Democratic Politics, They Want To Go Backwards And Punish Everybody, And
I Just Can't Help But Think, Why Are You Guys Being Total Babies And Talking About
This?”
Vance: “Instead Of Trying To Win The Next Election And Moving On With The Life Of
American Democratic Politics, They Want To Go Backwards And Punish Everybody, And
I Just Can't Help But Think, Why Are You Guys Being Total Babies And Talking About
This?” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 10/19/20)
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Republican Administrations
Republican Administrations. VANCE: “I think it definitely is, and what worries me most about
this, Tucker, isn't what it means about those who worked in the Trump administration. Those
who maybe can't find jobs now that they're looking for jobs in the private sector. I see it more as
a warning for the future, whether it's a second Trump administration or a Republican President
who comes after.” CARLSON: “That's right.” VANCE: “Really what this is saying is you're
going to be punished for trying to implement your ideals and principles into the work of
government. As you know well, you can't actually run a government with just one guy. A
President is obviously the most important piece. But you need people running the Cabinet
departments. You need people working at the White House. And if the warning that's out there is
we're going to come after you if you work in the administration of somebody who holds your
values, then it's going to be harder to actually staff a Republican government in the future.” (Fox
News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 10/19/20)
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VANCE’S QUESTIONABLE CONSERVATISM

VANCE ONCE ADMITTED THAT WORKING CLASS AMERICANS
BENEFIT FROM DEMOCRAT-POLICIES
In 2016, Vance Said White Working-Class Voters Could “Benefit” From Some
Democrat Economic Policies Versus Those From Republicans
Economic Policies Versus Those From Republicans. “While Vance conceded that white
working-class voters could 'benefit' from some Democratic economic policies versus those from
their Republican counterparts, there's a reason why so many in that voting bloc are hesitant to
switch to the Democratic ticket.' Even though they recognize that they need some help, they're
very proud in some ways and they're not going to be as attracted to a political candidate or a
political party that's fundamentally offering them free money or handouts in some way or
another,' he said.” (Rahel Gebreyes, “Author J.D. Vance Explains Why Rural, White Communities Support
Trump,” The Huffington Post, 8/16/16)
VANCE ONCE CRITICIZED TRUMP’S “CORE DOMESTIC POLICY

PRIORITIES”
In 2017, Vance Reflected On Trump’s “Core Domestic Policy Priorities,” Claiming It
Was “Not Looking Especially Good Right Now”
“Not Looking Especially Good Right Now.” LEMON: “J.D., is he right? Because our new poll
shows 52 percent of Americans see the president's approach to the presidency as an unnecessary
risk. Forty-seven percent say it's a necessary shakeup. What do you think?” VANCE: “Well, he
is fundamentally arguing that he is being unconventional. And obviously it sounds like a fair
number of voters actually agree with that. The thing about those risks is it really matters what
consequence they eventually have. And I think that we're at this stage right now where Trump
can argue persuasively that he has been an unconventional president. But that has to lead
somewhere. If it leads to a tax reform proposal that fundamentally hurts his own voters, if it
leads to health care reform proposal that starts to hurt his own voters or hurt the country, then
that's not going to mean anything that he is unconventional. You can be unconventionally right
or unconventionally wrong. And I think it's way too early to tell. But you know, fundamentally,
the conversation has to turn to is Donald Trump making the lives of majority Americans better?
Or is he enabling them to make their own lives better? And right now, it's too early to say. But
the core domestic policy priorities, the core domestic policy proposals that he's put out there,
even though they are obviously not very detailed, to the degree that there are details, it's not
looking especially good right now.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 4/26/17)
Vance: “I Just Don't See The Evidence That We're Being Serious About The Policies
That Are Necessary To Move The Country Forward Yet”
Are Necessary To Move The Country Forward Yet.” VANCE: “And I say that of course as a
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conservative who really wants this president to succeed in certain ways. But I just don't see the
evidence that we're being serious about the policies that are necessary to move the country
forward yet.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 4/26/17)
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S 2017
TAX CUTS BILL
In 2018, Vance Criticized Republicans For Living In The 1980s With The Party’s Tax
And Health Care Reform Policies
Health Care Reform Policies. “Vance is more scathing still when he discusses a broader
Republican party that he sees as intellectually ossified. It cleared the way for Trump, he argues,
by blindly pushing an agenda of Reaganesque trickle-down economics and engaging in
misplaced military adventures in the years before the real estate developer’s brash arrival. ‘I
wasn’t as critical of my party in 2016 as I was the person,’ he says. ‘But when I look at tax
reform, when I look at healthcare reform, I see Trump as the least worrisome part of the
Republican party’s problem, which is that we are basically living in the 1980s. We are constantly
trying to resurrect domestic policies from the 1980s.’” (Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance:
‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial Times, 2/2/18)
Vance Criticized Republicans For Cutting Taxes For The Wealthy And Cutting The
Social Safety Net
Safety Net. “Such as? ‘Let’s cut taxes for the wealthy! Let’s cut the social safety net! . . . The
fundamental thesis that underlined basic Republican policies in the early 1980s, which is right, is
that you had an economy which was simultaneously stagnating and experiencing high inflation. I
don’t think the primary problem facing the American economy right now is that. It is that the
opportunities that are out there require an adjustment in skills, an adjustment in training . . . And
if that’s the problem, I don’t necessarily see how unleashing tax cuts for the wealthy . . . ’ Vance
trails off as our food arrives. The tacos are small enough that I immediately order another.”
(Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance: ‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial
Times, 2/2/18)
In 2019, Vance Criticized The 2017 Tax Reform Law As “Ok, It Wasn’t Terrible, But
It Wasn’t Great”
Wasn’t Great.” VANCE: “When I think about the tax cut legislation which was ok, it wasn’t
terrible, but it wasn’t great. If I think about the health care legislation which I think was
genuinely a moral and political disaster and I am glad that it never passed.” (The American
Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 10:52-11:06)
It Should Be Noted That Vance Was Also Critical Of The Bush-Era Tax Cuts
In 2016, Vance Criticized The Bush Tax Cuts For Not Creating Jobs. “What unites Trump’s
voters is a sense of alienation from the wealthy and powerful. People with Ivy League degrees
lord over our business and political institutions, yet zero graduates of my high school class
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attended an Ivy League undergraduate college. People in my hometown voted for President
Reagan because he promised that tax cuts would bring higher wages and new jobs. It seemed he
was right, so we voted for the next Republican promising tax cuts and job creation, George W.
Bush. He wasn’t right.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump Fans Feel Betrayed By G.W. Bush,” Tulare Advance-
Register, 2/18/16)
Vance Has Criticized The Republican Party For Pushing Tax Cuts, Deregulation, And
Free Trade For Not Addressing A “Very Real Social Crisis That’s Going On In The White
Working Class.” VANCE: “The other side, I think, is that for many years, the Republican elites,
the part of the party that really drives policy has pushed a combination of tax cuts, deregulation,
free trade, those policies, whatever their merit as matters of good government, have not
addressed, I think, a very real social crisis that’s going on in the white working class.” (MSNBC’s
“All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/2/16)
Additionally, Vance Has Noted His Opposition To Supply-Side Tax Cuts

Vance Claimed He Was Disinvited From Joining Jeb Bush’s Campaign Due To His
Opposition To Supply-Side Tax Cuts. “In hindsight, the group contained all kinds of
ideological fissures that would prevent it from exercising greater influence on national politics—
most notably on immigration, with hardliners and doves about equally represented. Though
intellectually enriching, it was also a bit awkward: I had, just weeks earlier, been invited to join
Jeb Bush’s then-promising presidential campaign on one day, and then uninvited the very next.
The problem? I had written in 2012 that an obsession with supply-side tax cuts was equal
measures politically stupid and morally unjust, and someone on the campaign had uncovered my
transgression.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
VANCE HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR INCREASING THE CAPITAL
GAINS TAX RATE
Vance Supports Raising The Capital Gains Tax Rate
In 2017, Vance Said He Supported Senator Mike Lee’s Proposal To Increase The Capital
Gains Tax Rate To That Of Ordinary Income. VANCE: “This is one area where I actually
think conservative Senator Mike Lee from Utah has had some really really interesting ideas. One
of tax reform proposals Senator Lee has advocated for is actually setting the capital taxation rate
at the same rate as they ordinary income rate. Because that’s what is really driving this
difference, right. It’s not ordinary income earners. It’s not salaried professionals.” (Brookings
Institution YouTube Channel, 9/6/17, 1:45:27-1:45:45)
In 2017, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) Wrote That A Capital Gains Tax Rate That Was Lower
Than The Labor Income Rate Gave Preferential Treatment To Wealthier Americans.
“Problem number two is that the federal government, as usual, has not kept up with the change,
and indeed, has only exacerbated the problem. For instance, Washington still taxes investment
income at much lower rates than labor income on the outdated logic that Americans’ dividends
and capital gains will be reinvested in the national economy. But what in 1981 may have
incentivized a virtuous economic cycle in 2017 may just be giving preferential treatment to rich
Americans for creating jobs in other countries.” (Sen. Mike Lee, Op-Ed, “How Congress And Trump Can
Reform Taxes To Put America First,” The Federalist, 1/23/17)
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Lee Proposed Raising The Tax Rates On Capital Gains And Dividends. “It would also, of
course, reduce federal revenue. But lost revenue could be recouped, at least in part, by raising the
tax rates on capital gains and dividends. That’s step two. Taken together, these two changes
would transfer the workers’ share of the corporate tax onto American investors, who, again, are
the natural and disproportionate beneficiaries of globalization relative to American workers.”
(Sen. Mike Lee, Op-Ed, “How Congress And Trump Can Reform Taxes To Put America First,” The Federalist,
1/23/17)
VANCE HAS CALLED TO RAISE TAXES ON U.S. BUSINESSES IN

CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
Vance Called For Taxing Firms That Produce Goods Overseas
In 2020, Vance Called For Taxing Firms That Produce Goods Overseas And Using The
Proceeds To Subsidize Firms That Bring Their Manufacturing Back To The United States.
“Most of the interesting ideas on the Right—from Patrick Deneen’s critique of liberalism to
Peter Thiel’s long efforts against globalization—unsurprisingly come from thinkers not subject
to the financial pressures of Conservatism, Inc. Though it’s still early, an anti-globalization
agenda has began to take shape. We should tax the labor arbitrage so many ‘U.S. firms’ depend
on, while subsidizing—as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed—firms to move
some of their manufacturing capacity back to the United States.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy
Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
VANCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT HIGHER TAXES FOR INDIVIDUALS

WITHOUT CHILDREN
In 2021, Vance Said He Supports Higher Taxes For People Who Do Not Have
Children
In 2021, Vance Said He Supports Higher Taxes For People Who Do Not Have Children.
VANCE: “I will go back to something I said earlier. We need to reward the things that we think
are good and punish the things that we think are bad. So you talk about tax policy. Let’s tax the
things that are bad and not tax the things that are good. If you are making $100,000, $400,000 a
year and you’ve got three kids you should pay a different lower tax rate than if you are making
the same amount of money and you don’t have any kids.” (Charlie Kirk YouTube Channel, 3/22/21, 40:28-21:00)
VANCE HAS SOMEWHAT FLIP-FLOPPED ON CUTS TO THE
FEDERAL BUDGET
In 2017, Vance Warned That GOP Budget Cuts Were Evidence That Trump And
Republicans In Congress Were Not Focused On “Core Constituencies”
In 2017, Vance Criticized GOP-Led Budget Cuts, Claiming The Political Calculus “Hasn't
Actually Been Especially Thoughtful” And Were Evidence That Trump And Congress Had
Not Focused On “Core Constituencies.” CABRERA: “So it's not just the health care issue.
President Trump's budget proposes massive cuts to food stamps. J.D. of the top ten states with
the largest percentage of people on food stamps, seven of them voted for Trump. What is the
Trump administration putting on (INAUDIBLE) on his proposed budget?” VANCE: “Well, my
guess is that the political calculus hasn't actually been especially thoughtful (ph). My guess here
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is that what's effectively happened is that the Trump administration has outsourced domestic
policy to Congress and hasn't really focused on some of its core constituencies and hasn't really
thought very seriously about the fact that a lot of what's being proposed is, one, very contrary to
what Donald Trump promised during the campaign, and more importantly, is actually contrary to
what a lot of his core voters want in this very moment. And republicans have to deal with that
real contradiction that exists in their constituency. You have very ideological folks who maybe
are excited about tackling some of these government programs. And you have the base of
working in middle class Republican voters who actually like some of these programs, or even if
they don't like them, they don't want them completely taken away. So, that calculus needs to be
made within the White House. And if it is not, I do think the Republicans across the board are
going to pay a pretty heavy political price.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
In 2017, Vance Noted He Supports Using Government Spending To Solve Social
Problems
In 2017, Vance Said That A “Fundamental Problem That Conservatives Have To Accept Is
That Sometimes You Have To Spend Money To Solve Social Problems.” VANCE: “The
fundamental hill we have to get over, the fundamental problem that conservatives have to accept
is that sometimes you have to spend money to solve social problems. Not always. Does that
mean that government is always the answer? Certainly, it doesn’t.” (Brookings Institution YouTube
Channel, 9/6/17, 1:36:30-1:37:05)
Vance: “I Think The Sort Of Baseline Constant Refusal To Accept That Sometimes You
Have To Spend Money Is At The Core Of Our Real Problem. And If We Can Get Past
That, I Actually Think There Might Be Some Good Ideas Coming Out And Hopefully I
Can Be A Part Of That.” (Brookings Institution YouTube Channel, 9/6/17, 1:36:30-1:37:05)
However, Vance Supported The 2011 Ryan Budget
In April 2011, Vance Criticized The Anticipated Anger At The Ryan Budget Plan, Which
Trimmed Nearly $4 Trillion From The 10-Year Budget. “Paul Ryan’s budget plan could spur
an intelligent conversation on spending. But what we’ll probably hear from the left are the same
scare tactics and budget cut horror stories. Tomorrow, Rep. Paul Ryan will release his highly
anticipated budget plan. Early reports suggest that along with serious changes to Social Security
and Medicare, the budget will trim nearly $4 trillion from the 10-year budget deficit. I don’t
know how the Left will react, but I’m confident that they’ll overreact. And I’m hoping that
when the dust settles, we’re having a more intelligent conversation about spending cuts than
we’ve had during my lifetime.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
Vance Wrote That Budget Cuts Were Coming Due To The Welfare System Depending On
A Rapidly Growing Population. “Of all the things I can’t stand about politics, the tendency to
emotionalize a difficult topic is probably the worst. Budget cuts hurt—just ask our friends in the
United Kingdom. But budget cuts are coming, because our entire welfare system depends on a
false premise: a rapidly growing population. It’s a pretty simple concept: the taxes from young
workers support the benefits of elderly dependents, so the system works fine so long as the
young significantly outnumber the old. Our system is stressed because the number of retirees is
growing at a faster pace than the number of workers. And America is actually relatively lucky;
most countries in Western Europe face a far more serious population problem than we do.” (JD
Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
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• Vance: “Without Serious Budget Cuts, America Will Transfer Trillions Of Dollars
From The Yet To Be Born To The Living. Every Dollar Spent Is A Dollar That
Must Be Taxed, And The Left Seems Oblivious To The Fact That The Tax Burden Of
Today’s Profligacy Will Fall Hardest On Future Citizens. How’s That For Wealth
Redistribution?” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
Although Vance Wrote Was, “Not One Of Those Conservatives Who Shudders At Any
Mention Of Tax Increases,” He Opposed Tax Increases To Fill The Budget Gap. “The other
answer, of course, is to raise taxes on people now. That’s not a great idea, as economists from
across the political spectrum argue that raising taxes in the midst of a recession is bad for
growth, and growth is the one thing that can close the budget gap faster than entitlement reform.
More importantly, increased revenue will only take us so far—with a projected deficit of well
over $1 trillion next year, a return to pre-Bush era tax rates would fill, at best, about 10 percent
of our current fiscal hole. I am not one of those conservatives who shudders at any mention of
tax increases, but like every thoughtful American, I realize that soaking the rich is a painfully
inadequate solution.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
• Vance: “The Way Forward Is As Obvious As It Is Politically Difficult: Streamline
The Tax Code, Reform Current Entitlements And Avoid Enacting New Ones.” (JD
• Vance Said If Democrats “Gave A Damn About Inequality In This Country, They’d
Be Leading The Charge For Budget Cuts Instead Of Opposing Them.” “And the
whole time, I’ll be thinking to myself: if these people gave a damn about inequality in
this country, they’d be leading the charge for budget cuts instead of opposing them.” (JD
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY SIGNALED SUPPORT FOR DISTORTING

THE FREE-MARKET WITH FEDERAL SUBSIDIES
Vance Called Grover Norquist A “Fiscal Phony” For Opposing Ending Ethanol
Subsidies
In A 2011 Op-Ed On Ethanol Subsidies, Vance Wrote That “Tom Coburn Was The Fiscal
Conservative While Grover Norquist Was A Fiscal Phony.” “During the debate over ending
ethanol subsidies, Tom Coburn was the fiscal conservative while Grover Norquist was a fiscal
phony.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Norquist Loses In Ethanol Subsidy Fight,” FrumForum, 6/17/11)
Vance Criticized Norquist For Opposing Ending Ethanol Subsidies. “The media largely
framed the debate over ethanol subsidies between Senator Tom Coburn and Americans for Tax
Reform president Grover Norquist as a contrast between two approaches to deficit reduction:
Coburn’s pragmatic willingness to raise more revenue on the one hand, and Norquist’s
ideologically-rigid opposition to tax increases on the other. That’s one way to look at it. But
there’s a better way to look at it: Tom Coburn is the ideologically-consistent conservative, and
Grover Norquist is a fiscal phony. It’s worth remembering exactly what ethanol subsidies are. As
‘tax expenditures’ they redirect money from the US Treasury to a particular group -- in this case
corn farmers -- to provide financial incentives for that group to engage in a certain behavior.” (JD
Hamel, Op-Ed, “Norquist Loses In Ethanol Subsidy Fight,” FrumForum, 6/17/11)
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Vance: “As Grover Norquist Is Undoubtedly Aware, Taxpayer Dollars Don’t Grow On
Trees. The Money That Pays For Ethanol Subsidies Is Confiscated From The American
Public At Large. So While The Farm Lobby Benefits From The Expenditures, The Rest Of
Us In The Form Of Higher Taxes Or Increased Deficit Spending.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Norquist
Loses In Ethanol Subsidy Fight,” FrumForum, 6/17/11)
Vance: “To Call The End Of These Subsidies -- A Government Transfer Program -- A Tax
Increase Is Possibly The Most Un-Conservative Argument That I Have Ever Heard.” (JD
VANCE HAS QUESTIONED CONSERVATIVES FOR PRIORITIZING

AMERICA’S BUSINESSES
Vance Previously Criticized Conservatives For Prizing Corporate Interests
In 2019, Vance Defended Tucker Carlson After Carlson Argued Against A Conservatism
That “Consistently Prizes Commercial Interests Above Those Of Everyone Else.” “Tucker
Carlson’s monologue heard round the world is interesting on its own terms. In it, he argues
against a conservatism that consistently prizes commercial interests above those of everyone
else. I encourage you to watch or read it in full. Yet the response on the right is as interesting as
Carlson’s monologue itself, for it reveals a discomfort among some conservatives for balancing
the tensions that exist in our coalition and in our ideology. There is, by many on the right, an
effort to sing the praises of market capitalism without acknowledging the tensions between our
pro-market principles and everything else.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National
Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Also Criticized Ben Shapiro For Defending “Supply And Demand Economics.” “I
respect Ben Shapiro a great deal, but I found this paragraph in his response to Carlson curious:
Supply and demand economics has powered most of the world’s human beings out of extreme
poverty, and led to the richest society in human history. It has allowed us to live longer, in bigger
houses, in more comfort. It has meant fewer dead children and more living parents. If we’ve
blown that advantage, that’s our own fault. Traditional conservatives recognized that the role of
economics is to provide prosperity — to raise the GDP. The role of a social fabric and a value
system is to provide meaning.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Pointed To The Pharmaceutical Industry And The Explosion Of Opioids And Said
That In Some Cases “You Need Some Government Intervention.” “Some economic
libertarians might say that these problems are the consequence of bad individual choices, and I
wouldn’t entirely disagree. I grew up in a family plagued by addiction, and I saw some bad
choices. Yet bad choices simply aren’t enough to explain the crisis — people have always made
bad choices, and the familial, neighborhood, and economic contexts in which they live can
exacerbate or improve them. Others might admit that it’s not all bad choices, that bad policy
plays a role, but oddly the bad policy they point to is almost always the negative incentives of
the welfare state. Again, they have a point — our welfare state is far from perfect, especially
when it comes to encouraging work and family formation — but there are many other policies
at play here. To keep the focus on the opioid epidemic, the Los Angeles Times’ reporting on the
role of the pharmaceutical industry is both excellent and disturbing. It chronicles the ways in
107
which some companies gamed our regulatory system to obtain approval and patent protection
for highly addictive drugs. Those companies then knowingly lied about the safety of those drugs
to doctors and patients. Some commentators have framed their problem with Tucker’s argument
as promoting “government intervention’ when that same intervention is the problem. But if you
want to protect a community from drugs that can take hold of a person’s mind and destroy
whole neighborhoods soon thereafter, you need some government intervention.” (J.D. Vance, Op-
Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Wrote That Corporate Interests Do Not Always Align With Civil Society’s
Interests. “Of course, the recognition that corporate interests might not always align with civil
society’s interests comes from the patron saint of capitalism, Adam Smith. We simply must
develop the intellectual ability to understand the way in which law and policy drive outcomes in
our society besides creating bad incentives for poor people. Sometimes they create bad
incentives for the rich. Sometimes they allow the incentives that already exist to run roughshod
over our communities and families. The market, as Smith understood, is merely a tool — a
powerful tool, yes. But if we care about the flourishing of our society, and if we value ends
besides a larger GDP, then we have to do the difficult work of balancing the competing
demands of our values. Instead, many of our intellectuals simply pretend there is no competition
— that what is good for markets is good for the rest of our nation. This is a recipe for boring
thinking and bad policy.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Criticized The Practice Of Offering Economic Incentives To Companies To
Relocate
In 2018, Vance Criticized Local Governments For Seeking To “Effectively Bribe”
Companies Like Amazon To Relocate There. “One of the things I have not been excited about
is the desire from a lot of folks to effectively bribe companies to relocate to their areas as
opposed to creating something of real value that is home grown. In Columbus, Ohio (like
Indianapolis), for example, they’re one of the finalists for Amazon HQ2. ‘I understand 100%
why the individual business and civic leaders want to get Amazon in their city, but at the same
time it would be great if they spent as many resources trying to foster and create the next
Amazon. Columbus is doing a lot of great things to attract and retain and build up the
entrepreneurial ecosystem. I’d love to see more of that and a little less of spending money to
convince Amazon to relocate.” (Thom Schuman, “Words Of Wisdom,” BizVoice, 09/18)
AppHarvest – A Company In Which Vance Invested – Accepted $2.5 Million In Tax
Incentives From The State Of Kentucky In 2017. “AppHarvest, financed in part by an
investment group co-managed by ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author J.D. Vance, has experienced
significant delays since it was first approved for state tax incentives totaling $2.5 million in
February 2017. Company officials said at the time that construction of a 2 million square-foot
greenhouse in Pikeville would begin in June of that year. ‘It's very difficult, it's very difficult, but
we're charging every day,’ Jonathan Webb, founder and chief executive officer at AppHarvest,
told a crowded gymnasium Monday at Shelby Valley.” (Will Wright, “AppHarvest Launches High-Tech
Agriculture Class In Pike County. Still No Word On Jobs.,” Lexington Herald Leader, 9/17/18)
108
VANCE HAS INDICATED HE SUPPORTED UNION PRIORITIES OVER

THAT OF AMERICAN BUSINESS
Vance Previously Indicated He Opposes Right-To-Work Laws
In 2020, Vance Said “I Am Not A Big Fan Of Right-To-Work Laws.” VANCE: “The
primary driver of the decline of private sector union is not Right-To-Work laws, I am not a big
fan of Right-To-Work laws.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20,
26:26-26:33)
Vance Has Criticized GOP Donors For Pushing Antagonism Toward Unions
In 2020, Vance Criticized Republican Donors For Pushing Republicans To Denounce
Unions Despite Their Beneficial Effects. “Take another example: we have known for some
time that members of unions are less likely to drink and more likely to maintain their familial
commitments. We have also learned that these benefits appear independent of the (obviously
important) wage benefits of union membership. Social capital, and the mediating institutions that
cultivate it, really are useful. But in virtually every major campaign of recent decades, the donors
have demanded the denouncement of unions and their pernicious commercial effects. And so
denounce them we have.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
Vance Signed Onto A Report Calling For Reforms To Greatly Strengthen Labor
Unions
In 2020, Vance Attached His Name To A Report From American Compass Warning That
Conservatives Had Become “Overly Solicitous Of Business” And Calling For Reforms To
Strengthen Labor Unions. “AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES rightly place economic freedom
and limited government among our dearest values. The defense of markets, though, has at times
made us overly solicitous of businesses. As we advocate for owners and managers in their
pursuit of profit, and celebrate the enormous benefits their efforts can generate for us all, we
must accord the same respect to the concerns of workers and ensure that they, too, have a seat at
the table. In a well-functioning and competitive market, participants meet as equals able to
advance their interests through mutually beneficial relationships. Institutions of organized labor
have traditionally been the mechanism by which workers take collective action and gain
representation and bargaining power in the private sector. Strong worker representation can
make America stronger. Unfortunately, our nation’s Great Depression–era labor laws no longer
provide an effective framework, many unions have become unresponsive to workers’ needs and
some outright corrupt, and membership has fallen to just 6% of the private-sector workforce.
Rather than cheer the demise of a once-valuable institution, conservatives should seek reform
and reinvigoration of the laws that govern organizing and collective bargaining…” (“A Seat At The
Table,” American Compass, 9/20)
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Vance And Other Signers Of The Report Called For Conservatives To Consider
Allowing Sectoral Bargaining, Works Councils, And Requiring Seats For Labor
Representatives On Corporate Boards
Corporate Boards. “The standard partisan arguments over labor have tended to accept our
nation’s current legal framework as the only one, and thus to present its expansion or
contraction as the only options. Entirely different arrangements deserve consideration. In parts
of Europe, for instance, ‘right-to-work’ is the norm, but so is sectoral bargaining. On the one
hand, labor and management in Germany often partner on ‘works councils,’ which are illegal in
the United States and opposed by American labor unions. On the other hand, such
‘codetermination’ can also extend to labor holding seats on corporate boards, which American
unions support but shareholders resist. In some places, unions manage functions like
unemployment insurance and job training that we take for granted as government
responsibilities. In Canada, collective bargaining offers the parties autonomy to depart from
government mandates in regulating their own workplaces. Conservatives should be willing to
consider all these approaches, and others besides.” (“A Seat At The Table,” American Compass, 9/20)
Negotiated That Apply To All Workers In A Particular Occupation, Industry Or
Region, Rather Than At A Single Employer
Rather Than At A Single Employer. “Sectoral bargaining—also known as multiemployer,
industrywide, or broadbased bargaining—is a form of collective bargaining that provides
contract coverage and sets compensation floors for most workers in a particular occupation,
industry, or region. While broadbased bargaining can—and sometimes does—occur in the
United States, current labor laws emphasize enterprise-based bargaining, in which unions
negotiate with individual employers on behalf of a group of workers at a particular worksite.
For example, a union might negotiate with a supermarket chain on behalf of workers at a
particular store or with a building service company on behalf of janitors in a specific building.
With sectoral bargaining, collectively bargained standards extend to every grocery store worker
or janitor in the region.” (David Madland and Malkie Wall, “What Is Sectoral Bargaining?,” Center for
American Progress, 3/2/20)

Representatives To Work With Management To Establish Employment Policies Like
Work Hours And Disciplinary Rules
Work Hours And Disciplinary Rules. “A works council is a committee, common at German
factories, in which white-collar and blue-collar workers elect representatives who establish
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policies on issues like work hours, vacations and standards for firing workers.” (Steven
Greenhouse, “Labor Regroups In South After VW Vote,” The New York Times, 2/16/14)
VANCE HAS BEEN CRITICAL OF FREE-MARKET ECONOMIC

PRIORITY
Vance Opposes Milton Friedman-Backed Economic Policies
In 2016, Vance Wrote That The GOP Had Pushed For Policies Backed By Thinkers Like
Milton Friedman Including Tax Cuts, Regulatory Reform, And Open Trade But That The
“Evidence Slowly Accumulated That They Failed To Address A Very Real Social Crisis
Among The Republican Base.” “At least since the late 1970s, a relatively consistent domestic
policy agenda has guided the Republican Party. GOP leaders, drawing on thinkers such as the
brilliant economist Milton Friedman, pushed a combination of tax cuts, regulatory reform and
open trade. Sometimes, as in President Reagan’s time, these policies proved popular. And other
times, as during President George W. Bush’s time, they didn’t. Yet the party marched on, with
little revision to the core ideas that informed Reagan’s presidency. As late as summer 2015,
putative Republican presidential front-runners announced their candidacies in speeches that
promised the same basic agenda. Whatever you might think of these policies, evidence slowly
accumulated that they failed to address a very real social crisis among the Republican base. The
factories that formed the base of the blue-collar economy shed jobs or ceased operating
altogether. Median wages stagnated, and white working-class voters began telling pollsters that
they believed their children’s future would be worse than their own. Divorce rates crept steadily
upward, and a frightening drug epidemic took hold. Last year, in the medium-sized Ohio county
where I was born, deaths from drug overdoses outnumbered deaths from natural causes.” (J.D.
Vance, Op-Ed, “Hey Democrats, Do More Than Talk,” USA Today, 7/28/16)
In 2020, Vance Called Economist Milton Friedman’s Argument For Free Trad “Nonsense”
And Said That Free Trade Had Resulted In “Millions Of Men In The South And
Midwest” With “Pill Bottles And iPhones” Instead Of Jobs. “Almost certainly the most
influential right-of-center thinker of the last fifty years was Milton Friedman, a brilliant
monetary economist and quick-witted debater. Friedman’s ideas have influenced at least two
generations of conservatives (including yours truly), but he missed a lot. His view that
commercial freedom would reduce ‘the area over which political power is exercised’ motivated a
lot of U.S. policymakers in their approach to China and has proven tremendously short-sighted.
China is perhaps the most hypercapitalist regime in the world, but it has used its economic power
to become even more politically authoritarian. His views on trade similarly encouraged policy
makers to ignore the costs of opening our markets to cheap consumer goods. ‘Can you think of a
better deal,’ Friedman wrote in 1970, to those then concerned about Japan, ‘than our getting fine
textiles, shiny cars, and sophisticated T.V. sets for a bale of green printed paper?’ Well, a
conservative in 2020 might reply to this nonsense that a better deal might include millions of
men in the South and Midwest with jobs instead of pill bottles and iPhones. How about
communities with more steady father figures than opioids?” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy
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Vance Has Called For Prioritizing The American “Nuclear Family” Over Free Market
Principles
In 2019, Vance Argued That Conservatives Should Prioritize The Interests Of The
American “Nuclear Family” Over Protecting And Maintaining Free Markets. CARLSON:
“Well, for decades, the Republican Party has been proud to call itself the party of free markets,
and good for them. There's nothing wrong with markets, of course. We're for them. But there is
something much more important than any economic system, and that is the health of people.
When corporate interests, and the interests of American families conflict, you've got to side with
American families. It seems like an obvious one. We made it last week. We'll continue to make
it. One person who's been saying this for a long time is J. D. Vance. He's the Author of Hillbilly
Elegy, and he joins us tonight. J. D. Vance, thanks very much for coming on.” J. D. VANCE,
HILLBILLY ELEGY AUTHOR, VENTURE CAPITALIST: “Yes.” CARLSON: “So, the point
is not to make some kind of argument against market capitalism or any country - company, in
particular. The - the point is only—” VANCE: “Yes.” CARLSON: “--that maybe Conservatives,
as they think about what's important, ought to put individual Americans, particularly the family
unit, the nuclear family, above all other considerations. Do you think that that's a crazy way to
see the world?” VANCE: “No, I don't at all. The way that I would frame it, Tucker, is we treat
market capitalism as an end or we treat market capitalism as a tool, a tool to create prosperity—”
CARLSON: “Exactly.” VANCE: “--a tool to create a lot of wealth, a tool to create a healthy
society. And I think what a lot of folks in the past 10, 15, 20 years on the Right have forgotten is
that it is a powerful tool, but it is not the end. It is not, as I said in a piece, a platonic deity that
enforces healthy families that enforces a prosperous society.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,”
1/9/19)
Vance Pointed To The Opioid Epidemic As An Example Of Why More Government

Intervention In The Economy Is Needed. “To keep the focus on the opioid epidemic, the Los
Angeles Times’ reporting on the role of the pharmaceutical industry is both excellent and
disturbing. It chronicles the ways in which some companies gamed our regulatory system to
obtain approval and patent protection for highly addictive drugs. Those companies then
knowingly lied about the safety of those drugs to doctors and patients. Some commentators have
framed their problem with Mr. Carlson’s argument as promoting “government intervention”
when that same intervention is the problem. But if you want to protect a community from drugs
that can take hold of a person’s mind and destroy whole neighborhoods soon thereafter, you need
some government intervention. This raises a fundamental question with which so many of Mr.
Carlson’s critics refuse to even engage: What happens when the companies that drive the market
economy — and all of its benefits — don’t care about the American nation’s social fabric? What
happens when, as in the case of a few massive narcotics sellers, they profit by destroying that
fabric?” (JD Vance, “The Health Of Nations,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/8/19)
• Vance: “Sometimes The Corporate Interests Who Are Responding To Market
Incentives, Who Are Acting Just As You Might Expect A Company To Act, Is
Actively Going To Harm The American Social Fabric.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
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• Vance: “The Market Is Not A Platonic Deity, Floating In The Sky And Imposing
Goodnes And Prosperity From On High. It Is The Creation Of Our Choices, Our
Laws, And Our Democratic Process.” (JD Vance, “The Health Of Nations,” Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette, 1/8/19)
• Vance: “If A Company Is Pushing Opioids Into A Community In A Way That's

Destroying Families, Whose Side Are We Going To Take? Are We Going To Take
The Side Of The Corporate Interest Or Are We Going To Take The Side Of
American Families?” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/9/19)
Vance Complained That Conservatives Had “Lost A Little Bit Of Our Muscle Memory, A
Little Bit Of A Recognition That Libertarianism And Conservatism Aren't The Same
Thing.” VANCE: “Well, I think there are a couple things going on. I mean, first, so many of the
battles in the 1980s and the 1990s were about the Republicans being the party of markets and
Democrats being the party--” CARLSON: “Right.” VANCE: “--against markets. And I think
what happened is that we lost a little bit of our muscle memory, a little bit of a recognition that
libertarianism and conservatism aren't the same thing, and that sometimes—” CARLSON:
“That's right.” VANCE: --the interests of families do conflict with some of these corporate
interests. I - I really don't think there's anything bizarre or anti- conservative about this.” (Fox
• Vance: “Do We Remember Who We're Fighting For? Are We For Healthy
Communities, Healthy Families Or Are We Just Going To Constantly Defer To
Corporate Interests Every Time Those Two - Those Two Sides Collide?” (Fox News’
“Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/9/19)
Vance Warned That Failure To Stand Up To “Corporate World” Could Result Of

Damaging Ideologies, As Had Happened In The Past With The Rise Of Communism And
Fascism. CARLSON: “I'm worried that if we don't articulate this, really clearly, and act on it
that the reaction against our current form of capitalism will be so intensive, we're going to wind
up with something really destructive, socialism, or some awful economic system. Do you share
that worry?” VANCE: “I definitely share that worry. And, Tucker, if you look through history, if
you look at the Bolshevik Revolution in the early 20th Century--” CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE:
“--if you look at what was going on in the world as the American or, excuse me, the world
economy transferred from an agrarian society to the industrial economy, there was a lot of war.
There was fascism. There was Nazism.” CARLSON: “Right.” VANCE: “There was
communism. And the United States avoided it because people like Teddy Roosevelt actually
stood up for American workers, and said, ‘I'm not always going to defer to the interests of the
corporate world.’ I think what's going on right now in our economy is actually a similar level of
transformation. We're seeing a lot of people move—” CARLSON: “I agree.” VANCE: “--from
an industrial-based economy to an informationbased economy. And the question is what do we
do to protect the promise of the free market to ensure that it continues to be a tool to create
prosperity, so that we can have a healthy community, have a healthy society, or do we continue
to ignore the fact that a lot of people in America are hurting right now?” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
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• Vance: “And When People Hurt, They Eventually Go To The Ballot Box, And
Eventually, Sometimes, People Do Things Even Worse Than Voting For Politicians
And Policies That You Don't Like. That's The Lesson Of History.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
Carlson Tonight,” 1/9/19)
• Vance: “And The Question Is Do We Heed The Lesson Of History? Do We Build A

Modern Conservative Coalition That Supports Working And Middle-Class
Families? It's Really, To Me, The Only Way Out Of This.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
According To Washington Post Columnist Henry Olsen, Vance Spoke At A Conservative

Conference And “Sought To Distance The New Conservatism From The Old Movement’s
Dependence Upon Libertarian-Infused Thinking For Its Domestic Policies.” “President
Trump’s election shook conservatism to its core. Rejected by the voters of a party they had
considered their natural home, movement conservatives are now engaged in a long overdue
conversation about principles and political strategy. A recent conference offered much solid
advice about both what should and should not be done. The event was billed as the start of a new
American ‘national conservatism.’ This title clearly tries to align the new thinking with the
burgeoning sense of nationalism one sees throughout the world, but much depends on what the
words mean. What constitutes the American nation? What should this conservatism seek to
conserve? The speakers differed a lot on how to answer the second question. Some speakers,
such as the Hudson Institute’s Chris DeMuth and the Faith and Reason Institute’s Mary
Eberstadt, sought to reintegrate priorities of the old conservatism — deregulation and social
conservatism — into the new. Others, such as ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author J.D. Vance, sought to
distance the new conservatism from the old movement’s dependence upon libertarian-infused
thinking for its domestic policies.” (Henry Olsen, Op-Ed, “Conservatives Are Still Grappling With The
Trump Era. And Many Haven’t Yet Learned Their Lesson.,” The Washington Post, 7/22/19)
VANCE WORKED AS A CONTRIBUTOR FOR AN ORGANIZATION

THAT EXPRESSED SKEPTICISM OF TRUMP’S AMERICA FIRST
TRADE AGENDA
Vance Is A Contributing Writer For A Conservative Think Tank That Is Skeptical Of
Free Market Policies
Vance Is A Contributing Writer For American Compass, A Conservative Think Tank
Vance Is A Contributing Writer For American Compass, A Conservative Think Tank.
“J.D. Vance, the author of the book ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ which chronicled the despair in parts of
rural America that helped fuel the rise of a figure like Mr. Trump, said the work being done at
American Compass, where he is a contributing writer, was ultimately part of the larger debate
over what happens to the Republican Party once Mr. Trump is no longer leading it. And the hope
for him and like-minded Republicans is that they can shape that future.” (Jeremy W. Peters, “New
Schism Shakes The Republican Faith In a Supreme Market,” The New York Times, 5/6/20)
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American Compass Was Created In 2020 To Challenge Some Of The “Small-Government,

FreeMarket Tenets At The Heart Of The Republican Party’s Agenda”
American Compass Was Created In 2020 To Challenge Some Of The “Small-
Government, FreeMarket Tenets At The Heart Of The Republican Party’s Agenda.” “A
growing push by lawmakers and policy experts on the right is challenging some of the small-
government, free-market tenets at the heart of the Republican Party's agenda. Questions over
whether the government should play a more active role in protecting Americans from global
shocks like the coronavirus pandemic have exposed a widening divide in the Republican Party
over whether the small-government, free-market brand of conservatism at the heart of its
agenda -- and a top priority of its biggest donors -- is out of step with the times. The debate
traces some of the same ideological fault lines that run through the party over President Trump's
economic and trade policies, which excite many of the voters who are drawn to his nationalist
appeals but alarm the party's more traditional, pro-business wing…Oren Cass, the founder of
American Compass, a new group that is publishing the essays by Mr. Cotton and Mr. Rubio and
plans to host events that highlight similar themes, said this moment of national crisis was
‘almost kind of tailor-made to bring a lot of these issues to the fore.’” (Jeremy W. Peters, “New
Schism Shakes The Republican Faith In a Supreme Market,” The New York Times, 5/6/20)
American Compass Founder Oren Cass Said The Group Was Formed To Appeal To
Working-Class Trump Voters Hurt By Traditional Republican Free Market Principles
American Compass Founder Oren Cass Said The Group Was Formed To Appeal To
Working-Class Trump Voters Hurt By Traditional Republican Free Market Principles.
“Oren Cass, the founder of American Compass, a new group that is publishing the essays by Mr.
Cotton and Mr. Rubio and plans to host events that highlight similar themes, said this moment of
national crisis was ‘almost kind of tailormade to bring a lot of these issues to the fore.’
Conservatives like Mr. Cass believe that the traditional Republican economic view is not only
hamstringing the country's ability to protect itself, but also hurting the party with the voters
whom Mr. Trump brought in -- and who are not sharing in the vast wealth gains at the very top
of the ladder.” (Jeremy W. Peters, “New Schism Shakes The Republican Faith In a Supreme Market,” The New
York Times, 5/6/20)
American Compass Would Embrace “Trump’s Skepticism Of Unfettered Trade”

American Compass Would Embrace “Trump’s Skepticism Of Unfettered Trade.”
“American Compass will try to address what some conservatives see as the failure on the part of
the right's biggest think tanks and interest groups to embrace Mr. Trump's skepticism of
unfettered trade, and his willingness to use the power of the government to give American
companies a competitive advantage.” (Jeremy W. Peters, “New Schism Shakes The Republican Faith In a
Supreme Market,” The New York Times, 5/6/20)
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EARLY DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, VANCE

QUESTIONED WHETHER TRUMP SHOULD BE CREDITED FOR THE
BOOMING ECONOMY
Vance Criticized The Relevance Of The Trump Policies To The Economic Boom And
Its Distribution To All Parts Of The Country
In 2017, Vance Said There Was Reason To Question Whether The Economic Boom Was
Due To Trump Or The Obama Administration
Due To Trump Or The Obama Administration. J.D. VANCE, CONTRIBUTOR, CNN:
“Well, obviously the economic numbers are pretty good and we can did he bail all night
whether those numbers are because of him or because of the policies of the past administration.
So, at least in some ways you're starting to see things like wage growth, you're starting to see
some job growth in the country. And whether, again, the president deserves some credit for it,
he's definitely going to get a fair amount of credit for it especially from the folks who voted and
put him into office. I think the most interesting thing to watch politically over the next few
months is whether if republicans fail to make big results on tax reform, whether the party starts
to turn against the congressional leadership. Because the temptation for the president at that
point is not going to be able to throw up his hands and say, well, I'm sorry, we haven't gotten
anything done. It's going to be to point fingers and I think the person who is going to point
fingers at most directly is Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. So I think there's a really
interesting question over the next few months whether the republican party civil war which has
really been bubbling below the surface for the past year breaks open or whether ultimately
they're able to get a legislative program done. And people are circulating the wagons and
celebrating regardless of whether the ultimate policy is super affected down the road. It at least
gives the president a win. So that's what I'm looking at.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/15/17)
In 2017, Vance Said That Despite The Good Jobs Numbers During The Trump
Administration, “That Doesn't Necessarily Mean It's Broadly Distributed Across All
Geographies Of The Country”
Geographies Of The Country.” BLITZER: “You're surprised -- I'm surprised, you're surprised,
only 32 percent approve, at a time when pretty robust job numbers are out there.” J.D. VANCE,
CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Yes, well, it's definitely, you know, you see jobs numbers like this and
you'd expect the approval rating to be higher. I think that part of that is obviously the fact that the
president likes to mix it up with the media and he mixes it up enough and people start to get
exhausted and that probably drives down the approval rating a little bit. But I also think what
Steve said is really important, which is that part of what's driving people's sense of how well
they're doing is not the top line job numbers, but whether there are jobs in their communities and
real growth in their communities. And we saw this during the Obama administration. I think
we've seen this during the first year of the Trump administration, that though we're seeing some
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job growth and the economy's starting to pick back up, that that doesn't necessarily mean it's
broadly distributed across all geographies of the country. And that's, in fact, one of the things
that we're trying to work on is make sure that if you're living in southwestern Ohio, if you're
living in Indianapolis, you have access to that high growth economy that we're seeing reflected
in some of those good job numbers.” (CNN’s “Wolf,” 12/8/17)
OPPONENTS COULD SUGGEST VANCE IS HYPOCRITICAL FOR HIS

CRITICISM OF ‘BIG TECH’
Vance Has Criticized “Big Tech” But Receives His Salary From Tech Executives
In 2021, Vance Tweeted That Establishment Republicans’ “Apologies For Our Oligarchy”
Should Include A Disclaimer That “Big Tech Pays My Salary” Despite Vance’s Salary At
Narya Being Partially Paid For By Two Directors At Facebook And The Former CEO Of
Google. “Delicate dance: Vance made his name as an author, but he's made his career as a
venture capitalist, backed by many of the coastal billionaires he now plans to rhetorically run
against. Earlier this week Vance tweeted: ‘Establishment Republican apologies for our oligarchy
should always come with the following disclaimer: ‘Big Tech pays my salary.’’ Yet Vance's
salary, as a partner with Narya, has literally been paid, at least in part, by two directors at
Facebook and the former CEO of Google.” (Dan Primack, “J.D. Vance Tells Associates He Plans To Run
For Senate In Ohio,” Axios, 4/15/21)
Vance Said Conservatives Should Break With Corporations Over Censorship Of

Donald Trump And His Supporters
In 2021, Vance Accused The Left And Democrats Of Accommodating Big Tech Monopolies
And Other Corporations Because “They Recognize That Corporate Power Is Being Used
Against Their Enemies, In This Case President Donald Trump And His Voters.”
INGRAHAM: “Rush Limbaugh reshaped the public square by forging a path for conservative
media. But now that square is being increasingly squeezed by tech oligarchs. You'd think the
classical left would be upset about corporate monopolies, they used to be, but they aren't. So why
is that? Of course, while former President Trump is banned from platforms like Facebook and
Twitter, big tech hasn't lifted a finger to prevent the CCP from spreading anti-American lies.
Someone who has thought a lot about this is J.D. Vance, author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ and he joins
me now. J.D., why do you think the modern left is suddenly OK with the concentration of power
in a few corporate entities? J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGY’: “I think
unfortunately it's just very cynical. They realize that the big tech oligarchs are actually on their
side, and where they used to complain about corporate power, now they recognize that corporate
power is being used against their enemies, in this case President Donald Trump and his voters.
And so I think they're more than willing to cozy up to those people if it gives them more power,
which it does is this case, because those companies really control the public square in this
country.” (Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
Vance: “They're More Than Willing To Cozy Up To Those People If It Gives Them More
Power, Which It Does Is This Case, Because Those Companies Really Control The Public
Square In This Country.” (Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
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Vance Called For Conservatives To Break With Corporations, Saying “We Have To
Recognize That They’re Not Our Friends Anymore.” “VANCE: “I think at a fundamental
level what’s going on right now is that big corporations in America are increasingly more
invested in the Chinese government than they are in their own country. And what that means for
us as conservatives is we’ve actually got to do something about this. I think we’ve gotten so used
to big business, to corporations being on the side of the right, because of China, because of the
woke left, they’re increasingly on the side of the left. And we have to do something about it. We
have to recognize that they’re not our friends anymore, and that should inform the way that we
think about public policy. It’s a really big departure, but I think it’s an important thing for us to
recognize so we can move forward and actually solve these problems and make it possible for
people to express themselves and be conservatives without fear of getting fired or censored.” (Fox
News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
VANCE OPPOSED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO

REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE
In 2017, Vance Criticized Republican Efforts To Repeal And Replace Obamacare
Under President Trump, Claiming He Doesn’t “Love The Plan At All”
President Trump, Claiming He Doesn’t “Love The Plan At All.” LEMON: “The majority of
the people who are on Obamacare are from red districts and many of them were supporters. So,
you say that this new replacement plan is risky for them. You don't like this plan.” VANCE:
“No, I don't love the plan at all, in fact. We have to keep in mind, right, that there's both a short-
term political answer to this question and I think a long-term political and more substantive
question about who is helped and who is hurt by this repeal and replace plan. I mean, I think that
folks may, and when I say congressmen and congresswomen may actually benefit from the
repeal. Because that means they keep the campaign promise, right. These folks have running on
repealing and replacing Obamacare for eight years now. So they may get a shortterm jolt when
they actually do it. The problem is that a lot of the benefits that exist in Obamacare just generally
speaking people having health insurance, that's popular. And if you actually move forward with
this particular repeal and replace package, it clearly is going to leave a few Americans uninsured
and it's probably going to continue to raise premiums for a lot of the folks who have coverage
right now.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
Vance: “So, I Think That Over The Long-Term When People See The Consequences Of
This Particular Replacement Provision, It's Not Going To -- It's Not Going To End Well
For The Republicans Who Vote For It”
For The Republicans Who Vote For It.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
ObamaCare Replacement Bill Are The Ones Who Voted For Donald Trump
ObamaCare Replacement Bill Are The Ones Who Voted For Donald Trump. VANCE: “So
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we don't have the CBO projection of this most recent bill but we do have a CBO projection for
the bill on which the most recent bill was modeled. And if you look at that projection the
evidence suggest that the people who will lose out most in that American Health Care Act are a
lot of the folks who voted for Donald Trump, working class and lower middle class voters, older
voters. … But if you think of the political problem, you know, folks have always asked, what is
it that's going to drive Donald Trump voters away from them while loosing their health care may
actually be the answer to that question. And unfortunately the Republicans, who I think have
been very smart, and frankly correct in the fact that Obamacare hasn't solved a lot of the core
problems of the American health care market, now own the problem. They're going to learn very
quickly unless they craft a better bill that it's not just enough to critique the bill that has failed in
the past, you have to actually offer a better alternative, and we're going to see if the Senate is
able to actually put forward the alternative.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 5/4/17)
Vance: “Those Folks, They Very Well See Their Deductibles Go Up, Their Premiums
Go Up. … There's Obviously A Significant Issue Of Folks Potentially Losing Access
To Their Health Care”
Health Care.” VANCE: “Those folks, they very well see their deductibles go up, their
premiums go up. And as we've been talking about, this is not just a policy problem, there's
obviously a significant issue of folks potentially loosing access to their health care.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 5/4/17)
Reforms And “About Losing The Medicaid Expansion And Most Worried About
Losing Their Health Care”
Their Health Care.” CABRERA: “Here are the numbers, 1.3 million Kentuckians are on
Medicaid today. About a third are covered by that Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. This is
Trump country. How worried are these folks about the GOP health care plan? VANCE: “Well, I
think they are especially worried, and what's so interesting is when you talk to folks back home,
even though Russia and Comey and all of these scandals dominate the news, they dominate
twitter, they dominate a lot of what journalists are talking about, the things I hear most
commonly from folks back home, those who voted for Hillary Clinton and those who voted for
Donald Trump, is that they're most worried about losing the Medicaid expansion and most
worried about losing their health care. But it is interesting actually to sort of step outside of my
own twitter bubble when people were so obsessed with what's going on with the Russiagate, so
called, and actually talked to people and realized that the thing that may be most politically
damaging for the president right now is if the AHCA passes in its present form. That's the thing
that I thing is most politically destructive for him potentially if it ends up passing a month
(INAUDIBLE) voters.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
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Vance Warned That The Bill Suffered From “Core Deficiencies,” Claiming “Millions
Of People” Were “Losing Health Coverage Either Through Medicaid Or Through
Another Mechanism”
Mechanism.” VANCE: “I think it definitely could have an impact on mid-terms. Of course,
what we have to remember is that this is just a bill that hasn't yet actually passed and there's a
question about whether you can address some of the core deficiencies in the bill. I think you
could, it would require pretty significant amendments, but I do think you could fix the bill. And
of course if you fix the bill in such a way that millions of people aren't losing health coverage
either through Medicaid or through another mechanism, then I think it is not going to be quite as
politically destructive.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
Vance Urged Sen. Rob Portman To Vote Against The House-Passed Bill To Repeal
And Replace ObamaCare Due To Its Medicaid Cuts And Tax Cuts
Replace ObamaCare Due To Its Medicaid Cuts And Tax Cuts. “Virtually as he spoke,
Senate Republicans in Washington released their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Here’s
an edited version of the conversation with Vance: Q: You said Medicaid cuts under
consideration in the American Health Care Act could be disastrous for Ohio. How should
Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman vote? A: With the caveat I haven’t seen the Senate version
of the bill, if it’s exactly like the House version, I would say he should vote against it. Two big
issues I saw with the AHCA bill as it was structured in the House were, first, that it cuts
Medicaid without any alternatives, and, second, it seems to prioritize tax cuts, which may be
good or bad, but which don’t seem to be the province of a health-care bill.” (Steven Litt, “‘Hillbilly
Elegy’ Author Questions Health Bill’s Focus,” Plain Dealer, 6/23/17)
Vance: “I Don’t Understand Why That Is Such A Focus Of The House Bill. … Don’t
Have A Health Bill And Use It To Cut Taxes”
A Health Bill And Use It To Cut Taxes.” “Q: Why does the AHCA make such an emphasis on
cutting taxes? A: I don’t understand why that is such a focus of the House bill. If you want to cut
taxes, have a tax reform bill. Don’t have a health bill and use it to cut taxes.” (Steven Litt, “‘Hillbilly
The AHCA Eliminated Taxes On Health Insurance Companies, Pharmaceutical

Companies, And Medical Device Manufacturers, As Well As Taxes Applied To Capital
Gains, Dividend, Interest, And Wage Income For Higher-Income Earners
Gains, Dividend, Interest, And Wage Income For Higher-Income Earners. “And we’re not
talking about a small amount of money. It works out to approximately $5,000 worth of tax cuts
per household. Except most households aren’t going to see their taxes cut at all because of which
taxes the AHCA cuts. It eliminates a 3.8 percent tax that applied to capital gains, dividend, and
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interest income for families with $250,000 or more in income ($125,000 for singles). It
eliminates a 0.9 percent tax on wage income in excess of $250,000 a year ($200,000 for
unmarried people). It eliminates taxes on health insurance companies, pharmaceutical
companies, and medical device manufacturers.” (Matthew Yglesias, “Republicans’ Health Bill Takes $600
Billion Out Of Health Care To Cut Taxes For The Rich,” Vox, 5/4/17)
Vance Lamented The Lack Of A Plan To Replace ObamaCare, Saying “There Has
Never Been A Shared Republican Vision For What The Replacement Is Going To
Look Like”
Been A Shared Republican Vision For What The Replacement Is Going To Look Like.”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think one of the things it taught us is that there has never been a shared
republican vision for what the replacement is going to look like. It's not just enough to say we're
going to undo Obamacare. You also have to replace it with something. And the worry that I have
as a republican is that this same issue is going to crop up in tax reform, it's going to pop up in a
number of other substantive areas of policy where it's not just enough to say you're against
something. You also have to be for something and to be for something, you really need
presidential leadership. You really need the Congress to actually have a shared vision of what's
happening. And what this particular battle teaches us is that there isn't a great amount of
disagreement within the republican tent about what actually needs to happen.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 7/18/17)
Leaving A Situation Where “Millions Will Be Unable To Pay For Basic Health Care”
Leaving A Situation Where “Millions Will Be Unable To Pay For Basic Health Care.”
“These sentiments conflict with recent iterations of Republican health care reform. The ‘full
repeal’ bill is nothing of the sort -- it preserves the regulatory structure of Obamacare, but
withdraws its supports for the poor. The House version of replacement would transfer many from
Medicaid to the private market, but it doesn't ensure that those transferred can meaningfully
purchase care in that market. The Senate bill offers a bit more to the needy, but still leaves many
unable to pay for basic services. In the rosiest projections of each version, millions will be
unable to pay for basic health care.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health Care,” The New York
Times, 7/21/17)
Vance: “This Wasn't Acceptable To Reagan In 1961, And It Shouldn't Be Acceptable To

His Political Heirs”
His Political Heirs.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
Vance Said Republicans Would Likely Find Themselves “Mired In Internal
Contradictions” Like Arguing That “A Bill That Cuts Subsidies For The Poor
Somehow Makes Care More Accessible”
Contradictions” Like Arguing That “A Bill That Cuts Subsidies For The Poor Somehow
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Makes Care More Accessible.” “But if Republicans fail to accept some baseline provision of
care, we'll find ourselves mired in internal contradictions -- arguing, for instance, that a bill that
cuts subsidies for the poor somehow makes care more accessible.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix
For Health Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
• Vance: “We'll Rail Against The Way The Government Has Destroyed Our Health
Care Market In One Breath And Resist The Support Offered To The Poor And
Middle Class To Navigate This Brokenness With The Other. This Is Not
Conservative; It Is Incoherence Masquerading As Ideological Purity.” (JD Vance, Op-
Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
Following The Defeat Of The Bill, Vance Called The Legislation A “Moral And
Political Disaster”
In 2019, Vance Called The ObamaCare Replacement Bill A “A Moral And Political
Disaster” And Said he Was “Glad That It Never Passed”
Disaster” And Said he Was “Glad That It Never Passed.” VANCE: “When I think about the
tax cut legislation which was ok, it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. If I think about the health
care legislation which I think was genuinely a moral and political disaster and I am glad that it
never passed.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 10:52-11:06)
In 2020, Vance Criticized Republican Efforts To Eliminate ObamaCare, Calling It A
“Small Government, Everyone-Is-On-Their-Own Approach To The Welfare State”
“Small Government, Everyone-Is-On-Their-Own Approach To The Welfare State.”
MARA LIASSON: “But despite those Republican tensions, J.D. Vance says, it will be hard for
the president and his party to continue to argue that popular programs like Obamacare should be
eliminated lock, stock and barrel.” JD VANCE: “I think the appetite for small government,
everyone-is-on-their-own approach to the welfare state - frankly, it was always pretty small, and
it's going to be even smaller, I think, over the next couple of years.” (NPR’s “Morning Edition,” 4/21/20)
In 2018, Vance Blamed Republican Efforts To Repeal ObamaCare For Republican Losses
In The 2018 Midterm Elections
In The 2018 Midterm Elections. VANCE: “So, one of the takeaways is that Republicans are
continuing to become the middle and working class party, and Democrats are more and more
popular among wealthy Suburbanites. The second takeaway is that the single most unpopular
piece of Republican legislation in the past couple of years wasn't Donald Trump's brainchild, and
if you trust the media reports, Donald Trump wasn't even a huge fan of it, and that was the
healthcare bill that came out of the House Republican leadership. And in - in poll after poll and
person after person that I've talked to, you know, I'm good friends with Mike DeWine who
luckily eked out a win in the Ohio Governor's race, the - the consistent theme is that that
Republican healthcare bill actually put a little bit of a millstone around Republicans running in
the industrial Midwest. It was not a popular piece of legislation. And, in some ways, I think it's
almost better that it didn't pass and that it didn't go into effect causing even more damage down
the road.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 11/23/18)
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VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED SOME HESITATION

CONCERNING SCHOOL CHOICE INITIATIVES
Vance Has Previously Questioned The Effectiveness Of Vouchers For High-School
Aged Students
In 2014, Vance Wrote That Vouchers Might Be Useful For Younger Children And Less
Helpful For High-School Aged Children. “Conservatives have supported vouchers for all the
right reasons: Vouchers give kids the opportunity to escape a failing school, they give parents a
choice, and they force educators to compete. Yet it needs to be said that vouchers grow less
effective as children age. Skills beget skills, and knowledge begets knowledge: Heckman’s
research shows that a good preschool produces significantly better results for children than does
a good high school. The most effective voucher programs will target our youngest kids, not those
nearing adulthood.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The College Trap,” National Review, 1/9/14)
In 2021, Ohio Republicans Introduced Legislation To Make All Ohio K-12 Students
Eligible For Vouchers. “Any Ohio kid would be eligible for a voucher to cover part of the cost
of their private school tuition if a bill introduced by House Republicans becomes law. ‘The intent
of this bill is if you think it’s a better option to look at alternative education for your children,
you would have state funding available to pursue that goal,’ bill sponsor Rep. Riordan McClain,
R-Upper Sandusky, said. It's called the backpack method of school funding because the money
follows the student wherever he or she goes. And Ohio would be just the second state to adopt a
universal voucher program if House Bill 290 became law. West Virginia passed a similar
program in March. It's scheduled to start in the fall of 2022 and has the potential to apply to
children who currently attend private schools later down the road.” (Anna Staver, “Ohio Republicans
Want To Make Every K-12 Student Eligible For A School Voucher,” The Columbus Dispatch, 5/6/21)
Notably, Vance Has Also Praised Vouchers And Charter Schools

In 2016, Vance Praised Charter Schools And Vouchers. “This would require a conservative
agenda that appealed to black Americans. Recent Pew polls suggest that black Americans care
especially about residential segregation and access to good schools. Conservatives have potential
answers for each of these problems. Urban ghettos, created by racist housing policy and sustained
by bizarre administration of federal housing programs, constitute one of the few entrenched
problems amenable to policy interventions. The administration of the federal Section 8 program,
for instance, often ignores the importance of eradicating government-created concentrated
poverty. Conservative ideas on vouchers and charter schools have delivered better, if still
imperfect, schools — often with active participation from local (and progressive) school
leaders.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Two Underclasses,” National Review, 8/29/16)
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VANCE HAS EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR ASPECTS OF THE LEFT’S

EXTREMIST CLIMATE AGENDA
Vance Previously Suggested The U.S. Has “A Climate Problem”
Vance Said We “Have A Climate Problem In Our Society”
In 2020, Vance Said We “Have A Climate Problem In Our Society, One Largely Caused
Now By Unrestrained Emissions In China.” VANCE: “Think about energy. We have of
course have a climate problem in our society, one largely caused now by unrestrained emissions
in China. Part of the reason we have that problem is because we are not generating energy much
cleaner than we used to 30 or 40 years. In fact the biggest improvement in emissions is solar
energy which can provide a substantial amount of our power but can’t provide anything like 50
percent of our power, definitely not 100 percent of our power.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And
Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20, 19:20-20:00)
Vance Previously Acknowledged That Coal Jobs Are Not Coming Back
In 2017, Vance Claimed “Folks Who Are Involved In The Coal Industry” Were “Very
Realistic” That “A Lot Of Those Jobs Are Not Coming Back.” VANCE: “What I find so
amazing about this conversation is that when you talk to folks who are involved in the coal
industry, folks who live in these areas, they're very realistic about the fact that a lot of those jobs
are not coming back. And I think that what that shows is that we really have to be asking
ourselves, what's the next generation of American jobs? What are people going to be doing 10,
20, 30 years down the road. And it's so interesting to me how much of the national conversation
is driven by, can we bring coal miners back to work?” BERMAN: “Yes.” VANCE: “And when
you talk to folks on the ground, they're actually a lot more realistic about what the economy is
going to be looking like in a decade or two.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 6/2/17)
Vance Previously Said Natural Gas Would Not Take Us To A Clean Energy Future
In 2020, Vance Said Natural Gas Was “An Improvement Over Dirtier Forms Of Power
But Isn’t Exactly The Sort Of Thing That Is Going To Take Us To A Clean Energy
Future.” VANCE: “And through our increasing reliance on natural gas which of course is an
improvement over dirtier forms of power but isn’t exactly the sort of thing that is going to take
us to a clean energy future.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20, 19:20-20:00)
Vance Previously Doubted Whether There Would Be Job-Related Benefits From
Pulling Out Of The Paris Climate Agreement
In 2017, Vance Claimed It’s “Really Tough To Argue” The Trump Administration’s
Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Agreement Would “Bring A Lot Of People Back To
Work.” HARLOW: “J.D., the president promised coal miners, you're going to go back to work.
You're born in Kentucky, you grew up in Ohio, you know these towns, you know these people.
We've seen it on the ground. Are these people en mass going to go back to work because the
president pulled out of the Paris climate agreement?” VANCE: “Well, no, because the Paris
climate agreement, of course, was nonbinding. And so a lot of the commitments that the United
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States made, even if you think that the United States shouldn't have made those commitments,
they were effectively voluntary, and so it's really tough to argue that pulling out of that accord is
going to bring a lot of people back to work.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 6/2/17)
Vance: “People Are Going To Be Looking Around And Saying, Is My Life Actually Getting
Better? Are These Things Actually Improving? And Unfortunately, I Don't Think Pulling
Out Of The Paris Accord Does Much Good.” VANCE: “Well, Chris, you made a really
important point, which is that a majority of the public does support the deal, but the strength of
that support is actually pretty weak, so it's not a high priority issue, and consequently, I think the
politics are pretty ambivalent here for the president. But, the most important is, actually, the one
that you made just there, is you got to actually bring jobs back to these communities and that
implicates productivity. That implicates our education system. It, frankly, implicates issues that
are much more difficult and much more complex than just pulling out of the Paris Climate
Accords. And so, I think while the president may get a short-term, very minor political advantage
with his core base of supporters, at a fundamental level over the long term, people are going to
be looking around and saying, is my life actually getting better? Are these things actually
improving? And unfortunately, I don't think pulling out of the Parris Accord does much good.
And I don't think that much of what we've seen so far in the first 120 days does much good. This
is a really long term question that the president has to answer better.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 6/2/17)
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S SUGGESTION TO BUILD A U.S.

SOUTHERN BORDER WALL
Vance Previously Criticized The Idea Of A Southern Border Wall
In 2016, Vance Said Problems In His Community Were “Not Going To Be Solved By A
Mexican Border Wall Or Better Trade Deals With China.” “Do you think Trump offers
something that's valuable to these voters because he speaks their language? My view is that
Trump is projecting a very complex problem on a simple villain. Without some recognition that
some of these problems in our community are not the fault of other people - they're not going to
be solved by a Mexican border wall or better trade deals with China - without some recognition
along those lines, I don't believe these problems are ever truly going to get better.” (Michael
Lindenberger, “A Proverbial Middle Finger,” Dallas Morning News, 9/25/16)
• Vance In 2016: “I Don’t Think If You Build A Great Mexican Wall, All Of A
Sudden All Of These Steel Mill Jobs Are Going To Come Back To Southern Ohio.”
(Yahoo YouTube Channel, 9/15/16, 9:00-9:10)
VANCE WAS CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S PROPOSED TRAVEL BAN

Vance Previously Opposed Trump’s Muslim Ban
Vance Opposed Trump’s So-Called “Muslim Ban” And Blamed Trump For Putting The
Idea In Voters’ Heads. VANCE: “But when we start, talking having conversations for example
about a Muslim ban which thankfully President Trump retracted later on in the campaign. But as
soon as he talked about a Muslim ban, all of a sudden a lot of voters supported the idea of a
Muslim ban.” (UChicago Institute Of Politics YouTube Channel, 2/3/17, 1:09:15-1:09:30)
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VANCE PREVIOUSLY BLAMED U.S. BUSINESSES ON THE BORDER

CRISIS
“Cheap Foreign Labor” Resulted In The Border Crisis
“Cheap Foreign Labor” Resulted In The Border Crisis. “I've thought of this moment
frequently, as our southern border has exploded into crisis. We're a year into the COVID-19
pandemic, with tens of millions of people unemployed. Countless businesses have been
destroyed. Despite the enormous challenges facing America's working class, those same masters
of the universe and the politicians they fund are still looking for the same thing: cheap foreign
labor. No one seems to care that many migrants test positive for COVID every day and will
directly compete with our struggling service sector workers.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion'
Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Vance Said Illegal Immigration Is “About Money” And Cheap Labor For Business
Leaders
Leaders. “The answer is what I saw at that dinner: It's about money. Nearly every major
business and financial leader in this country is a supporter of the Democratic Party. They love
illegal immigration for the simple reason that their livelihoods are subsidized by illegal
immigration—while illegal aliens themselves are subsidized by the taxpayer. It's a redistribution
scheme from the poor to the rich.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And
Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “More Immigration Means Lower Wages For Their Workers And Easier
Access To Servants For Their Decadent Personal Lives.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True
'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Vance Said “We Should Take A Page From President Trump's Playbook And Call
This What It Is” Despite Accusations From Some That It Is Racist To Criticize Biden’s
Immigration Policies
Immigration Policies. “We should take a page from President Trump's playbook and call this
what it is. Whenever I criticize the Biden administration's immigration policies, someone tells
me I'm ‘racist.’ Many Republicans naturally grow defensive—no one wants to be tagged as a
racist, especially in today's environment when an accusation like that can end your career or ruin
your life.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,”
Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “What's So Disgusting About The Charge Of Racism Is That It Takes

Something Good About The American People—Their Compassion For Their Fellow
Citizens—And Warps It In Service Of Our Corporate Overlords.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed,
“True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
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• Vance: “Who Cares About American Solidarity If Your Hotel Chain Share Price
Goes Up A Few Pennies, Right?” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure
Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “It's Not Racist To Refuse To Do The Bidding Of America's Corporate

Oligarchy, And It's Not Compassionate To Create A Crisis On Both Sides Of Our
Southern Border.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping
Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Made The Immigration Debate About Race To Convince Black Voters To Support
Liberal Immigration Policies Against Their Economic Interests
Immigration Policies Against Their Economic Interests. CARLSON: “So if you're, you
know, a working class black person, immigration doesn't help you in any sense, it helps rich
people. But a ruling class makes the conversation about race, so all of a sudden, you feel like
you've got to be in favor of this because there's some sort of solidarity, which is false.” VANCE:
“Yes. One of the pretty consistent findings is that the biggest problem with low-wage, low-
skilled immigration is that it has a competitive effect for black Americans on the lower end of
the income scale.” CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE: “That's the group of people that low-wage and
low-skilled immigration is worse for. Again, it's good for people who are employing the low-
skilled workers. And so if you again distract from the people who are benefiting from the
problem, and you put the onus on a group of people who are also suffering from low-wage, low-
skill competition, then you manage to build up the elites. And of course, you don't actually solve
any of the real problems.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 5/14/19)
Vance: “If You Again Distract From The People Who Are Benefiting From The Problem,
And You Put The Onus On A Group Of People Who Are Also Suffering From Low-Wage,
Low-Skill Competition, Then You Manage To Build Up The Elites”
Low-Skill Competition, Then You Manage To Build Up The Elites.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 5/14/19)
VANCE HAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN POSITIONS THAT UNDERMINE

THE RELIGIOUS-RIGHT
Vance Attacked 2012 GOP Candidates For Missing “The Mark” On Evolution
In A 2011 Op-Ed, Vance Attacked Rick Perry And Michelle Bachmann’s Conservatism
For Opposing “Science.” “Perry and Bachmann’s conservatism is defined by what it opposes:
science, liberalism, and gays. Others insist that their conservatism is reflexively anti-government,
but each supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposal that would annul the marriages
of gay couples—ripping apart new families, many of which count young children as members.”
(JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
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• Vance: “Their Assertions That Evolution Is ‘Just A Theory’ Miss The Mark, And
Discourage Otherwise Sympathetic Voters From Joining The Conservative Cause.”
• Vance: “I Don’t Buy That I’m A Moderate Because I Believe What Scientists Say
About Evolution.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
Vance Criticized GOP Presidential Candidates Opposed To The Federal Marriage
Amendment, Which He Said Would Rip “Apart New Families”
In A 2011 Op-Ed, Vance Criticized Rick Perry And Michelle Bachmann For Supporting
The Federal Marriage Amendment, A Proposal Vance Said Would Result In The
Annulment Of Gay Marriages And Would Rip “Apart New Families, Many Of Which
Count Young Children As Members.” “Others insist that their conservatism is reflexively anti-
government, but each supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposal that would annul
the marriages of gay couples—ripping apart new families, many of which count young children
as members.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
• Vance: “I Don’t Buy That I’m A Moderate Because I Think That Families—All Of
Them, Even The Ones Headed By Gay People—Are Vital To The Survival Of The
Republic.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
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VANCE’S CONTROVERSIAL FOREIGN POLICY RECORD

VANCE CRITICIZED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR THE
AIRSTRIKE THAT KILLED QASEM SOLEIMANI
The Advantage Of China
The Advantage Of China. VANCE: “One person who is paying close attention to this, one of
the few who cares is J.D. Vance, the author of course of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ We're happy to have
him on our show tonight. J.D., thanks so much for coming on. I don't think anybody mourns the
death of Soleimani, in this country anyway, but I wonder what the Chinese think as they watch
this?” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR: “Well, I think one thing they're thinking is that, just as the past
two American presidencies have been bogged down in the Middle East in various ways, this
conflict risks escalating in a way that makes America focus on the Middle East for yet another
few years, maybe another 10 years, even as the Chinese grow and military might in economic
power. And we know, of course, that they're planting various infrastructure and economic
institutions all over Africa, all over Asia, that their entire economy is growing and flourishing.
And yet, again, we risk focusing on this small region of the world that is obviously important,
but not nearly as important as our biggest geopolitical rival continuing to gain strength and
power.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
Vance: “This Conflict Risks Escalating In A Way That Makes America Focus On The
Middle East For Yet Another Few Years, Maybe Another 10 Years, Even As The Chinese
Grow And Military Might In Economic Power”
Vance: “This Conflict Risks Escalating In A Way That Makes America Focus On The
Middle East For Yet Another Few Years, Maybe Another 10 Years, Even As The Chinese
Grow And Military Might In Economic Power.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
Vance Suggested That The Country Had Been Entangled In Wars In The Middle East
So “Financial Elites” Could Profit From The Rise Of China
“Financial Elites” Could Profit From The Rise Of China. CARLSON: “I mean, just a macro
question to end on, why is it so hard for our elites to police themselves? If someone is
consistently wrong about the big things, why is he still in the same job? If we allowed our heart
surgeons to keep working with that kind of track record, no one would survive surgery. So why
do we allow our policymakers to be wrong time and again?” VANCE: “Well, Tucker, I'll give
you a cynical answer, and then a less cynical answer. I mean, the less cynical answer is basically
that a lot of people just aren't very good and very smart at what they do. And honestly, I actually
hope that's the answer, because the more cynical answer is that as our country has successfully
bungled, or sorry successively, bungled Middle Eastern wars and allowed China to rise, there is
of course a group of people who've gotten very wealthy off of China's growing power, and that's
the financial elites who actually run the country, who donate to the think tanks, of course, that
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produce the policy papers that so many of our politicians rely on. And so I do think that one way
of recognizing that there's been a massive failure here is that the people who have not been in
service of the American national interests are still collecting a paycheck, and the people who
have gotten it right are still largely on the fringes.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
Vance: “And I Think That's Fundamentally A Story Of Incentives And A Story Of Who
Donors Are Benefiting From And Who Donors Are Paying To Effectively Issue What Is
Propaganda.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
VANCE HAS MADE CONTROVERSIAL REMARKS CONCERNING
CHINESE PATRIOTISM
Vance Previously Claimed That Chinese Nationals Were More Patriotic Than U.S.
Nationals
Vance Said That China Had An Advantage Over The United States Because Chinese
Nationals Were More Patriotic. CARLSON: “Right. And they know that we're so self-hating
that they can control us. They can bully us into submission, but the Chinese don't hate
themselves, do they?” VANCE: “No, they don't Tucker. And that's one of the craziest things
about China is whether it's Chinese nationals who are living overseas in America or Western
Europe, whether it's folks who maybe go on a student visa, and then come back; what's pretty
clear, is that China is very good at ensuring that its own citizens actually love the country. And I
don't think there's a whole lot that's especially lovable about the Chinese nation these days. But
they're very good at making their own citizens patriotic. And unfortunately, we have a country
that has a lot to be -- you know, we have a lot to be proud of in America.” CARLSON: “Yes.”
VANCE: “But unfortunately, a lot of folks don't think that this country is something to be proud
of. When you have -- when you're in a global geopolitical struggle, where one nation is afraid of
its own shadow, and the other nation is proud of itself, it's not too difficult to imagine which
nation is going to win.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 10/7/19)
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE FLIP-FLOPPED ON HIS SUPPORT FOR
THE IRAQ WAR
In 2016, Vance Criticized The Iraq War And Jeb Bush For Continuing To Defend The
War
In 2016, Vance Criticized The Iraq War And The Consequences To Veterans Of The War.
“To Mamaw, the president was the living embodiment of privilege, and he had cashed in when it
mattered most: by joining the Texas Air National Guard while his less fortunate peers lost their
lives in the jungles of Vietnam. Though I never acquired Mamaw's disdain for the president, I
eventually learned that her wariness about the war was justified. Thirteen years later, the war's
costs are obvious, especially to military families. Though I avoided significant combat, many did
not. One good friend suffered horrible burns when his vehicle rolled over a roadside bomb.
Another came home traumatized; his alcoholism eventually landed him in prison.” (JD Vance, Op-
Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The New York Times, 4/4/16)
• Vance: “And The Best That Can Be Said Of Our Nation's Effort Is That We
Produced A Feckless And Disorganized Iraqi Government.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's
Antiwar Appeal,” The New York Times, 4/4/16)
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Vance Said He Was Proud Of His Service But The Middle East Was “Humiliatingly Worse
Off Than The Way We Found It”
Off Than The Way We Found It.” “I am proud of my service and proud of those who served
alongside me. But war is about more than service and sacrifice -- it's about winning. Sixty years
ago, Americans looked to Europe and Asia and saw continents liberated and despots defeated.
With the Islamic State on the rampage, Americans today look to a Middle East that is
humiliatingly worse off than the way we found it.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The
New York Times, 4/4/16)
Vance Criticized Republicans For Running Candidates In 2008 And 2012 Who “Refused
To Rethink The Bush Foreign Policy That Led To Iraq”
To Rethink The Bush Foreign Policy That Led To Iraq.” “Yet while the Democrats elected
an anti-Iraq war candidate in 2008, the Republicans never addressed the anger of their own
voters. At best, they criticized the mismanagement of the war or hauled V.A. officials into
Congress for hearings. But in 2008 and 2012, the party ran candidates who refused to rethink the
Bush foreign policy that led to Iraq.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The New York Times,
4/4/16)
Vance Said Jeb Bush’s Advisers Were From “The Same Pool Of Discredited Thinkers Who
Planned And Executed The War”
Vance Said Jeb Bush’s Advisers Were From “The Same Pool Of Discredited Thinkers
Who Planned And Executed The War.” “In early 2015, the party appeared ready to coronate
Jeb Bush, the brother of the man who started the Iraq war. Jeb drew his advisers from the same
pool of discredited thinkers who planned and executed the war. Meanwhile, his chief adversaries
rushed to praise George W. Bush's national security record.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar
Appeal,” The New York Times, 4/4/16)
Vance: “Mr. Trump Is Unfit For Our Nation's Highest Office. But To Those Humiliated
By Defeat, He Promises We'll Win Again.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The New
York Times, 4/4/16)
Vance Said When Bush Was In Office, “He Sent Their Children On A Bloody
Misadventure.” “Anger about the wars isn't the only reason voters support Mr. Trump. But his
willingness to say what other G.O.P. candidates won't reflects what people like most about him:
his complete break with the party elite. Because the last time Republican voters put a member of
that elite in the White House, he sent their children on a bloody misadventure. Until others
recognize that failure, expect many to support the one major candidate who does.” (JD Vance, Op-
However, Vance Previously Noted He Supported The Invasion Of Iraq

In 2010, Vance Wrote That He “Supported The Iraq Invasion On The Merits.” “The New
York Times points out that psychological necessity may force the gung-ho attitude displayed by
the helicopter crews, and I can only lamely add that soldiers are people, too. We can legislate
laws of war and refine rules of engagement, but war will always be a grisly business. I’m not a
peacenik, and I supported the Iraq invasion on the merits, but it’s folly to send troops to do the
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toughest job and then be shocked by the attitude that some show while doing it.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed,
“Wikileaks Shows True Nature Of War,” FrumForum, 4/12/10)
Vance Said Of “All Of President Bush’s Mistakes, His Failure To Emotionally Prepare The
American People For War Is Perhaps The Most Severe.” “The second is that of all of
President Bush’s mistakes, his failure to emotionally prepare the American people for war is
perhaps the most severe. We ought to demand the best of our troops, and do whatever necessary
to rectify mistakes, but the American people are too often confused or shocked when things like
this happen. Maybe we wouldn’t be if we understood the monumental difficulty of our task.” (JD
Hamel, Op-Ed, “Wikileaks Shows True Nature Of War,” FrumForum, 4/12/10)
Additionally, Vance Was A Reporter For The U.S. Department Of Defense And
Reported Successes In Iraq
In 2005, Vance, Then Going By Hamel, Reported That The Iraqi Security Forces Were
Part Of A “Successful Evolution” Toward U.S. Policy Of Slowly Relinquishing Control Of
Iraq To Its Own People. “‘As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.’ Those are the words of
President George W. Bush, stating the U.S. policy of slowly relinquishing control of Iraq to its
own people. At the heart of this policy is the successful evolution of the Iraqi Security Forces,
who, despite bombs and death threats, continue to learn the ropes of combat patrols and
provincial security. But to be successful, the Iraqis need bases of operations, and that's where the
Engineer Support Battalion Marines at Al Asad, Iraq, serve as important a role as any in
Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Marines are busy every day in the hot Iraqi sun building a fully
functional, self-sustaining ISF base. It is one of many sites Iraqis will use to assume
responsibility for the security of their nation.” (Cpl. James D. Hamel, “Al Asad Detachment Helps Build
New Iraq,” US Department Of Defense Information, 9/13/05)
In 2005, Vance Wrote About The Marines Assistance In The “Successful Iraqi Election.”
“As Iraqis took to the polls for the third time this year, Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing and other units stationed in Iraq, supported Operation Liberty Express, filling vital roles in
the security, transportation and livelihood of Iraqi poll workers. At Camp Liberty, Iraq, a
makeshift city that housed nearly 700 election workers and officials, Marines provided security
and comfortable living conditions for the poll workers, while others at Al Asad, Iraq, ensured
their safe transportation, by air and ground, to polling sites around the country. ‘Our basic goal
was to provide a secure environment with basic life amenities for the poll workers and
(Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq) poll captains,’ said Gunnery Sgt. Stephen Ahern, a
Castle Rock, Colo., native and staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the security element
at Camp Liberty. The security detachment included Marines from every conceivable job
specialty and background. After brief refresher courses in basic security tactics, the Marines took
to their duties with enthusiasm and skill, Ahern said.” (Cpl. James D. Hamel, “Operation Liberty Express
Ensures Successful Iraqi Election,” Defense Department Documents And Publications, 12/20/05)
In Early 2017, Vance Has Criticized “Never-Ending Commitment” To Iraq While

Calling For “Some Sort Of Happy Median” Going Forward Under Trump
In 2017, Vance Said He Embraced The “Very Old-Fashioned View” On Iraq—“Which
Can Be Simply Stated As You Break It, You Buy It”—While Criticizing A “Sort Of Never-
Ending Commitment To The Country.” VANCE: “My worry is that we're going in too far in
the other direction, right? I mean, I have a very old-fashioned view, especially with regards to
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Iraq, which can be simply stated as you break it, you buy it. And I don't think that we can have
this sort of never-ending commitment to the country of Iraq. But I think about, you know, these
military interpreters. I actually talked to a general a few days ago, his interpreter was trapped in
an airport after this refugee order came down. And I just think about what we really owe to these
people, especially the people who helped us out.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Vance Expressed Concern That The U.S. Had “Gone Again Too Far In The Other
Direction” And Urged Us To “Find Some Sort Of Happy Median.” VANCE: “And I worry
that we've gone again too far in the other direction. And so, like with everything, I always hope
that we can find some sort of happy median, where maybe we can balance these interests a little
bit better than we have in the past. But we're not, you know, putting a hard ban on people in a
way that affects people who've been very good to us. But, it's in some ways, I think, a natural
outgrowth of a pretty dark period in the American foreign policy.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE EMBRACED NON-INTERVENTIONISM
Vance Has Called For A More Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy
In 2019, Vance Called For The Conservative Movement To Push “A Foreign Policy That
Was Built Around Fiercely Securing And Defending America's National Interests, But Not
Sacrificing So Many Of The People That I Served With To Imperial Hubris.” “Now, I won't
sit up here and preach at you a conservative platform for the next 21st century. I will not tell you
precisely what that conservative politics looks like for two reasons. The first is that it's pretty
late, and I imagine you've had a fair amount to drink, and I don't want to keep you too long. But
the second is that we still need to figure out a lot of the details for how this vision of
conservative politics, a pro-family, pro-worker, pro-American nation, conservatism actually
looks in practice. There's a lot of work to be done. I think in broad strokes, there are a few things
that that conservatism will posses…It would build a foreign policy that was built around fiercely
securing and defending America's national interests, but not sacrificing so many of the people
that I served with to imperial hubris.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
In 2017, Vance Faulted “Elites Of Both Parties” For Going “Off On Various Military
Misadventures” In The Name Of “Humanitarian Goals.” AXELROD: “But, the second
question is, what is the consequence of that in terms of terrorism and other problems that are
unavoidable in a world this small.” VANCE: “Right. Yes, well, I'm very mindful of the fact that
there obviously is a tradeoff between humanitarian interest and national interest sometimes. And
I do worry that folks on both the left and the right have been a little bit too high-minded about
American foreign policy. And so, there's been this backlash, right? There's this sense that we
have to retrench a little bit because the elites of both parties have sort of gone off on various
military misadventures, in the name of very -- various humanitarian goals.” AXELROD: “And
the hubris (ph) that said we can impose democracy –" VANCE: “Exactly.” AXELROD: “-- in
places that didn't have the civic –” VANCE: “Absolutely.” AXELROD: “-- sort of institutions
to support it, and where tribalism is a much more potent force.” VANCE: “Right. And so, I sort
of get the reaction against that in a certain way, right? I understand this impulse, and for a very
long time, I was, you know, what are my culture. I'm curious for this very reason that he was
willing to criticize some of these sacred cows –" AXELROD: “Yes.” VANCE: “-- in the foreign
policy consensus.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
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VANCE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE CHIEF OBSTRUCTIONISTS TO U.S.

EFFORTS TO PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO UKRAINE
According To The Associated Press, Vance Expressed His Opposition To Ukraine
Funding By Stating “The Problem In Ukraine … Is That There’s No Clear End Point”
By Stating “The Problem In Ukraine … Is That There’s No Clear End Point”. “Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and others have advocated
passage of the $60 billion in aid at the Munich Security Conference, which coincided with
Ukraine withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka after months of intense combat.
But Sen. JD Vance, an Ohio Republican and ally of Donald Trump, said “the problem in Ukraine
… is that there’s no clear end point” and that the U.S. doesn’t make enough weapons to support
wars in eastern Europe, the Middle East and “potentially a contingency in East Asia.””
(“Republican Opponent Of US Aid To Ukraine Brings His Case To An International Conference,” Associated Press,
2/18/24)
Vance Claimed Ukraine Funding Will “Not Going To Fundamentally Change The
Reality On The Battlefield”
On The Battlefield”. “If the package goes through, “that is not going to fundamentally change
the reality on the battlefield,” Vance argued, pointing to limited American manufacturing
capacity. “Can we send the level of weaponry we’ve sent for the last 18 months?” he asked. “We
simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there.””
2/18/24)
• Vance: “Can We Send The Level Of Weaponry We’ve Sent For The Last 18
Months… We Simply Cannot. No Matter How Many Checks The U.S. Congress
Writes, We Are Limited There.” (“Republican Opponent Of US Aid To Ukraine Brings His Case
To An International Conference,” Associated Press, 2/18/24)
Vance Supports “Negotiated Peace” Between Russia And Ukraine

Vance Supports “Negotiated Peace” Between Russia And Ukraine. ““I think what’s
reasonable to accomplish is some negotiated peace,” he said, arguing that Russia, Ukraine,
Europe and the U.S. all have an incentive to come to the table now and that the two-year-old war
will at some point end in a negotiated peace. Ricarda Lang, a co-leader of one of Germany’s
governing parties, the Greens, responded that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown
repeatedly “that he has no interest in peace at the moment.”” (“Republican Opponent Of US Aid To
Ukraine Brings His Case To An International Conference,” Associated Press, 2/18/24)
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First’ Foreign Aid Package”
First’ Foreign Aid Package”. (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
(“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “The Establishment, Combined With The Democrats, Are Then Going To Cut Out
The Border Piece Of This Package, Which Leaves Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel Funding And
Try To Jam It Through”
Try To Jam It Through”. ““Now, what is coming immediately after that is actually a huge
surprise. And this is big news, because this was not known even 12 hours ago, but the
establishment, combined with the Democrats, are then going to cut out the border piece of this
package, which leaves Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel funding and try to jam it through today.” (“Senator
Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “This Is All About Giving Away What Little Leverage We Have Over The
Democrats, Passing This Ukraine Package And Then Putting Pressure On The House”
Democrats, Passing This Ukraine Package And Then Putting Pressure On The House.”
““Now, we have to remember that we’ve had no time to review the Ukraine piece of this. You
know how I feel about Ukraine. Even some of my friends who are pro Ukraine funding are
saying, wait, we have to have time to actually review this. But, Steve, this is all about giving
away what little leverage we have over the Democrats, passing this Ukraine package and then
putting pressure on the House.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,”
Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “So It’s A Lose From A Policy Perspective. It’s A Lose From A Political
Perspective, And I Have No Idea Why We’re Doing It Except For This: Senate Leadership
Is Obsessed… Absolutely A Borderline Fetish With Getting Ukraine Money”
Is Obsessed… Absolutely A Borderline Fetish With Getting Ukraine Money”. ““So it’s a
lose from a policy perspective. It’s a lose from a political perspective, and I have no idea why
we’re doing it except for this: Senate leadership is obsessed, Steve, I mean, absolutely a
borderline fetish with getting Ukraine money and they’re willing to give away all of our leverage
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to get it. Everybody needs to say this is a no-go. Vote no on this package. It is the single most
important thing to kill in the U.S. Senate since I’ve been here. The worst piece of legislation, I
think, in the U.S. Senate since I’ve been here and we’ve got to absolutely get it out of here.””
Vance: “We Went Into This Negotiation Saying There’s A Very Simple Proposition Here:
The Democrats Want Ukraine Money, We Don’t Want To Give Them Ukraine Money… In
Reality, We Were Doing This Massive Amnesty Package Behind Closed Doors”
Reality, We Were Doing This Massive Amnesty Package Behind Closed Doors.” ““What
happened in the background, Steve, is that the negotiation happened completely in secret. Of
course, we didn’t know any of the details of what was coming out. We were promised it was
going to be great. But remember, we went into this negotiation saying there’s a very simple
proposition here: the Democrats want Ukraine money, we don’t want to give them Ukraine
money. Or even if we do, some of my colleagues do, of course – we want border security more
than that. So tell Joe Biden very simply, he doesn’t get another dime for Ukraine unless he shuts
down the American border. That was what we thought we were negotiating here. In reality, we
were doing this massive amnesty package behind closed doors.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For
‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “It Was Always A Question Of How Can You Get Enough On The Border So The
Conservatives Would Swallow $61 Billion For Ukraine”
Conservatives Would Swallow $61 Billion For Ukraine.” ““And then, of course, like you said,
dropped on Sunday evening for a Wednesday vote so that nobody would have enough time to
read it and push back against the terrible provisions. Here’s what I’ve heard Steve, and I’ve
heard this from both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate, that the
Republicans were never empowered by our own leadership to really push for concessions.
“So James Lankford from Oklahoma is going to get a lot of crap for this. What I’ve heard is
actually that he was told that he was not allowed to get major concessions on the border because
this was always a fig leaf. It was always a question of how can you get enough on the border so
the conservatives would swallow $61 billion for Ukraine.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine
First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “If The Republican Leadership Wants Ukraine Funding As Much As The
Democrats, We Don’t Have Any Leverage To Begin With. And That Was The
Fundamental Flaw In This Entire Process”
Fundamental Flaw In This Entire Process”. ““They may not love it, but they love border
security. That was always the trade they were being forced to make. Well as you know, Steve, if
you go into a negotiation and you’re already preemptively giving concessions and you’re
unwilling to walk away because you’re supposed to give border to get Ukraine funding. Right,
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that’s what the Democrats are saying. “Well, if the Republican leadership wants Ukraine funding
as much as the Democrats, we don’t have any leverage to begin with. And that was the
fundamental flaw in this entire process, is we had no leverage because our leadership didn’t
allow us to have leverage.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
Vance: “What We Should Be Doing Is Going Back To The Drawing Board Saying: This
Isn’t Good Enough, But Still The Deal Is On The Table. No More Money For Ukraine
Unless Biden Shuts Down The Border. The Fact That We’re Not Even Doing That, Steve
Gives The Whole Game Away”
Gives The Whole Game Away.” ““Well, if the Republican leadership wants Ukraine funding as
much as the Democrats, we don’t have any leverage to begin with. And that was the fundamental
flaw in this entire process, is we had no leverage because our leadership didn’t allow us to have
leverage. That’s why this whole thing has broken down and that’s why they’ve now immediately
pivoted to getting money for Ukraine, which if we cared about the border, Steve, what we should
be doing is going back to the drawing board saying: this isn’t good enough, but still the deal is on
the table. No more money for Ukraine unless Biden shuts down the border. The fact that we’re
not even doing that, Steve gives the whole game away. It was never about the border. It was
always about Ukraine.”” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
In 2023, Vance Signed Onto A Letter To The Director Of The Office Of Management
And Budget Calling For Details On Ukraine Spending
In January 2023, Vance Signed Onto A Letter To The Director Of The Office Of
Management And Budget Calling For Details On Ukraine Spending. (Letter To Director Of The
Office Of Management And Budget, 1/19/23)
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(Letter To Director Of The Office Of Management And Budget, 1/19/23)
138
Recently, Vance Stated He Opposed Ukraine Funding In Order To Protect Donald

Trump From Potential Future Impeachment
According To The Washington Post, Vance Opposes Ukraine Funding In Order To Protect
Donald Trump From Potential Future Impeachment. ““These funds expire on September 30,
2025 — nearly a year into the possible second term of President Trump,” Vance explained in a
memo that he says he sent to every Republican in Congress on Monday. Then the warning:
“These are the exact same accounts President Trump was impeached for pausing in December
2019.” That’s the argument Vance is making: Democrats are trying to pass a bill that will allow
them to impeach Trump again! Republicans must stand in their way! It is a nonsensical
argument, rooted in an obvious misrepresentation of Trump’s 2019 impeachment.” (“J.D. Vance’s
Sloppy Effort To Turn MAGA World Against Ukraine Funding,” Washington Post, 2/12/24)
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VANCE’S NOTABLE VULNERABILITIES WITH MODERATES

VANCE HAS TAKEN A POPULIST VIEW ON GLOBAL FREE TRADE
AGREEMENTS
Vance Supports Trade Policies “Different” From Free Trade
Following The 2016 Election, Vance Said, “I Don't Think We Can Completely Go Against
Free Trade, But We're Going To Do Something Different.” “Trump's position on the trade
issue, that the U.S. needs to be more aggressive in trade negotiations and back away from
NAFTA and other agreements, struck a chord with voters who lost jobs, in some cases more
than one job, to companies moving overseas, Vance said. ‘I don't think we can completely go
against free trade, but we're going to do something different,’ Vance said.” (Alan Johnson, “Voters
Went After Change, Author Says,” The Columbus Dispatch, 11/13/16)
Vance Opposed Completely Unwinding Trade Agreements, Noting The “Factories Still
Aren’t Coming Back”
Vance In 2016: “Free Trade Is Not Perfect But If You Completely Unwind Trade
Agreements The Factories Still Aren't Coming Back.” “Trump's Americans have legitimate
grievances over wage stagnation and underemployment but their candidate channels those
frustrations in dangerous and unhelpful ways. ‘He takes complex problems and projects them on
simple villains,’ says J.D. Vance, the author of the bestseller ‘Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a
Family and Culture in Crisis.’ ‘Free trade is not perfect but if you completely unwind trade
agreements the factories still aren't coming back.’” (Michael Cooper, “Trump Can't Fix The Problems Of
The Working Class,” U.S. News & World Report, 9/9/16)
Vance Has Criticized The Idea That Bad Trade Deals—Including With Countries Like
China—Were To Blame For Job Losses
In 2017, Vance Expressed Doubts That “Bad Trade Deals” Were To Blame For
Disruptions In The Economy. AXELROD: “I mean, obviously, Donald Trump got elected on
large -- in large part, I think. And one of the great motivators was his argument that trade laws
had caused all these jobs. And America had been taken advantage of. And he was going to -- and
he was going -- and he's acting on that now. We can see him dissolving trade treaties, trying to
renegotiate trade treaties. The question is, is he fighting yesterday's war here?” VANCE: “Well, I
think he is. And I think he's sort of true about this or he's right about this problem halfway and
wrong about it halfway. There definitely was a pretty significant disruption caused by trade. I
think you can make a pretty good argument that it was not necessarily bad trade deals as much as
just the natural flow of the economy.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Vance: “It's Not That We Have This Terrible Trade Deal With China. It's Just That A
Lot Of Things
That People Used To Buy From The U.S. They Could Buy From China Because It Was
Cheaper.” VANCE: “You know, it's not that we have this terrible trade deal with China. It's
just that a lot of things that people used to buy from the U.S. They could buy from China
140
because it was cheaper. So, that cut some on exports, cut some on the jobs that are driven by
those exports.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Vance: “We've Already Lost That Battle In Some Ways. The Jobs Are Already Gone.”
VANCE: “But, as we've discussed the bigger issue, especially now, again, was certainly a big
issue back in the '90s and the '80s, but it's the issue now is that all of the job losses as you look
out in the future are coming from technology and automation. Basically, robots are going to
replace people. And that raises a really difficult question, right, because you can't turn the clock
back on technology and automation. Maybe you could a little bit on trade if we were in the '80s.
But, we've already lost that battle in some ways. The jobs are already gone. And we've got to be
thinking about how to figure out, maybe prevent or at least prepare for the next generation of
labor market shift.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Vance Has Suggested That The Republican Party’s Support For Free Trade Is At Odds
With Its Working Class Base
In 2016, Vance Complained The Republican Party Had Given The White Working Class
Nothing But “The Basic Republican Policy Platform Of Tax Cuts, Free Trade,
Deregulation, And Paeans To The Noble Businessman And Economic Growth.” “The two
political parties have offered essentially nothing to these people for a few decades. From the
Left, they get some smug condescension, an exasperation that the white working class votes
against their economic interests because of social issues, a la Thomas Frank (more on that
below). Maybe they get a few handouts, but many don’t want handouts to begin with. From the
Right, they’ve gotten the basic Republican policy platform of tax cuts, free trade, deregulation,
and paeans to the noble businessman and economic growth. Whatever the merits of better tax
policy and growth (and I believe there are many), the simple fact is that these policies have done
little to address a very real social crisis.” (Rod Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor White People,” The
American Conservative, 7/22/16)
Vance: “These Policies Are Culturally Tone Deaf: Nobody From Southern Ohio Wants To
Hear About The Nobility Of The Factory Owner Who Just Fired Their Brother.” (Rod
Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor White People,” The American Conservative, 7/22/16)
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ONCE CALLED FOR SLASHING SOCIAL

SECURITY AND MEDICARE
Prior To Running For Office, Vance Wrote That He Would Support Dramatic Cuts To
Social Security And Supported A Plan That The AARP Warned Would “End Medicare
As We Know It”
Vance Wrote in 2010 Blog Post Criticizing Republicans, Democrats For Not Making Cuts
To Social Security, Medicare, Calling The GOP “The Party Of The Aging White Person.”
“Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance has in the past advocated for major reforms to Social
Security and Medicare in order to restore “fiscal sanity” to the United States. […]In a 2010 blog
post, Vance — then writing under the name J.D. Hamel — argued that Social Security and
Medicare were among the biggest drivers of large federal budget deficits, but that neither
Democrats nor Republicans had the political will to enact deep cuts to either federal entitlement
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program. “The political obstacles intimidate more than the practical problems,” Vance wrote in
the post on a personal blog site he used while in law school at Yale. “The party of, umm, limited
government — the Republican Party — is also the party of the aging white person. The party’s
only solid constituency thus depends on the Medicare and Social Security Benefits that are the
biggest roadblocks to any kind of real fiscal sanity. The Democrats are similarly hopeless.” The
post offers a relatively standard conservative view of the budgetary situation at the time: A
decade ago, large budget deficits and a mounting federal debt — both of which had been
exacerbated by the Great Recession — served as Republicans’ favorite weapon against President
Barack Obama and congressional Democrats, who had enacted an $800 billion federal stimulus
package and the Affordable Care Act.” (Huffpost, 7/13/22)
Vance Wrote Blog Post Under The Title “The Hillbilly Elite.” (The Hillbilly Elite, 12/11/10)
Vance Praised 2011 Paul Ryan Budget That Would Overhaul Social Security, Medicare.
“After Republicans swept to the House majority in 2010’s midterm elections, the federal debt
and the need for fiscal austerity became the dominating political issue of the time, and elements
of both parties came to see entitlement reforms as a way to rein in federal spending. Then-Rep.
Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) introduced a nowinfamous budget plan that sought to overhaul Medicare and
reform Social Security, a proposal Vance praised in 2011, as The American Independent recently
reported.” (Huffpost, 7/13/22)
Vance In 2011 About Paul Ryan Budget: “Streamline The Tax Code, Reform Current
Entitlements And Avoid Enacting New Ones.” “Paul Ryan’s budget plan could spur an
intelligent conversation on spending. But what we’ll probably hear from the left are the same
scare tactics and budget cut horror stories. […] Tomorrow, Rep. Paul Ryan will release his
highly anticipated budget plan. Early reports suggest that along with serious changes to Social
Security and Medicare, the budget will trim nearly $4 trillion from the 10year budget deficit. I
don’t know how the Left will react, but I’m confident that they’ll overreact. And I’m hoping that
we’ve had during my lifetime. The way forward is as obvious as it is politically difficult:
streamline the tax code, reform current entitlements and avoid enacting new ones. But the
possibility for any meaningful change depends on the Democratic reaction to Ryan’s new
budget. I hope that Ryan’s budget starts a needed conversation. But what we’ll probably hear is
scare tactics and assurances that the same old Republican brand of politics will hurt the same old
Democratic constituencies. And the whole time, I’ll be thinking to myself: if these people gave a
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damn about inequality in this country, they’d be leading the charge for budget cuts instead of
opposing them.” (FrumForum, J.D. Hamel, 4/5/11)
American Independent: Vance Supported Ryan Budget That Would Have Slashed
Establishment Protections, Ended Medicare As We Know It. “Meanwhile, in 2011 the author
and venture capitalist embraced a controversial GOP budget proposal that would have slashed
entitlement protections for poorer and older Americans, ending both Medicare and Medicaid as
we know them while cutting taxes for himself and other wealthy elites. In his writings, Vance did
not openly use terms like "Medicare cuts," but embraced words like "reform" and "trim" in
discussing the entitlement programs used by millions. In a column published on April 5, 2011,
on the FrumForum, a group blog edited by former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum
that described itself as "dedicated to the modernization and renewal of the Republican Party and
conservative movement," Vance, under a previous surname taken from a stepfather, praised a
budget proposal about to be released by thenHouse Budget Committee Republican Chair Paul
Ryan. Ryan's proposed budget called for trillions of dollars to be cut from entitlement programs
over a decade: repeal of the Affordable Care Act, the program commonly known as Obamacare
that provides health insurance coverage for millions of Americans; transformation of Medicaid
into a program funded through limited lump-sum grants to states, which would then manage it;
and conversion of Medicare into a capped voucher program.” (The American Independent, 7/7/22)
Ryan’s 2011 Path to Prosperity Plan Would Have Privatized Medicare For Those Under
55. “Ryan’s budget would cut $6.2 trillion in spending over the next decade and reduces the
corporate tax rate to 25 percent. It also converts Medicaid spending into block grants and
transforms Medicare into a privatized system for those 55 and younger.” (PBS, 4/5/11)
Ryan’s “Path To Prosperity” Plans Would Have Privatized Medicare By Turning It Into A
Voucher System, Called For Reforms On Social Security. “Ryan has long championed the
privatization of social insurance programs. His last two budget blueprints put forth in fiscal 2012
and 2013—both called The Path to Prosperity—would turn Medicare into a system of vouchers
that individuals could use to buy private insurance. These vouchers would not keep pace with
rising health care costs, forcing seniors to bear an increasingly greater burden of their health care
costs in years to come. Privatization of government programs seems to be a theme with Ryan. On
Social Security, Ryan—a Social Security recipient himself as a young man—helped lay the
groundwork for George W. Bush’s push to privatize Social Security, as described in a recent
New Yorker profile of the congressman. Ryan worked with former Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) to
create a plan which was centered on the creation of personal savings accounts. Under the plan, a
portion of an individual’s payroll tax contribution would be diverted from the OASDI trust fund
into an individual account, which would then be invested. Such a diversion of funds would have
decreased Social Security’s revenue and required a transfer of funds from the rest of the budget
to fund benefit obligations, as this Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis reported. In
other words, the Ryan-Sununu plan to bring long-term solvency to Social Security would have
required the federal government to borrow heavily to finance promised benefits. […]In his 2012
and 2013 budget blueprints, Ryan was vaguer in his approach to Social Security. In both plans,
he mistakenly characterizes Social Security as contributing to the rapid growth of spending on
entitlement programs. In the 2012 plan, he suggests Social Security changes be fast-tracked
through Congress (currently prohibited by law to protect the program).” (EPI, 8/14/12)
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Wall Street Journal: “The Plan Would Essentially End Medicare.” The plan would
essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and
disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills. Mr. Ryan and other
conservatives say this is necessary because of the program's soaring costs. Medicare cost $396.5
billion in 2010 and is projected to rise to $502.8 billion in 2016. At that pace, spending on the
program would have doubled between 2002 and 2016. Mr. Ryan's proposal would apply to those
currently under the age of 55, and for those Americans would convert Medicare into a "premium
support" system. Participants from that group would choose from an array of private insurance
plans when they reach 65 and become eligible, and the government would pay about the first
$15,000 in premiums. Those who are poorer or less healthy would receive bigger payments than
others.” (Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11)
20220: Vance Said He Appreciated Sen. Rick Scott’s Efforts To Put Forth A Republican
Plan Even If He Didn’t Agree With All Parts Of It Because He Was “Sick” Of Republicans
Only Campaigning Against The Biden Agenda Instead Of Being “For Stuff.” “At a
Republican Senate primary debate in Ohio on Monday, several of the candidates applauded Scott
for his effort, even as they said they disagreed with parts of his plan. ‘I’m so sick of Republicans
who say, ‘Well, we’re just going to push back against the Biden agenda.’ Well, of course we’re
going to do that. But what are we gonna actually do for our voters?’ candidate J.D. Vance asked.
‘There are a lot of problems out there. A lot of very serious problems. And we can’t just sort of
stick our flag in the mud and say, ‘We’re against, we’re against, we’re against.’ We gotta be for
stuff.’” (Associated Press, 3/31/22)
Vance: “You Know, Rick Scott's Plan For America? I Read It. I Looked At It. I Don't
Agree With Everything. In Particular, He's Advocated For Middle Class Tax Increases [...]
There Are A Lot Of Good Things In It. And Most Importantly, I Like That Rick Scott
Actually Proposed A Set Of Ideas For What To Do.” “Okay. Yeah. So, you know, Rick
Scott's plan for America? I read it. I looked at it. I don't agree with everything. In particular, he's
advocated for middle class tax increases. I think that's a joke for the Republican Party. Why
would we increase the taxes on the middle class, especially when Apple, Google, Amazon and
Facebook pay a lower tax rate than any middle class American in this room or in this country?
It's ridiculous. But there are a lot of good things in it. And most importantly, I like that Rick
Scott actually proposed a set of ideas for what to do. I'm so sick of Republicans who say, Well,
we're just going to push back against the Biden agenda. Well, of course, we're going to do that.
But what are we gonna actually do for our voters?” (Ohio Debate Commission GOP Senate Debate,
[00:57:18], 3/28/2022)
Rick Scott Plan Would Sunset All Federal Laws, Including Those Establishing Social
Security, Medicare, Forcing Them To Come Up For Renewal. “But during the seven weeks
of turmoil since Scott dropped a provocative conservative policy bomb on an unsuspecting party
— a plan that called for tax increases and expiration dates for all federal laws, including those
establishing Social Security and Medicare — he has not once expressed regret. Instead, the
former hospital chain CEO and two-term governor, the richest man in the Senate, argues that he
owes his detractors nothing.” (Washington Post, 4/18/22)
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VANCE IS OPPOSED TO PROVIDING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE TO

LOW INCOME AMERICANS
Vance Opposed Biden’s Plan To Expand Child Care To Low- And Moderate-Income
Families
In A 2021 Op-Ed, Vance Called Biden’s Plan To Increase Child Care A “Bad Deal For
American Parents.” “In his first address to Congress, President Biden proposed spending an
extra $225 billion on child care. That’s on top of the $40 billion the administration is already
spending as part of the ‘bailout’ of child-care providers in Mr. Biden’s American Rescue Plan,
and the $10.3 billion the federal government normally spends on child-care subsidies. The new
plan, billed as an effort to help low- and moderateincome families, would put America on a path
to becoming a society where the state assumes much of the care of young children. Many
Republicans have balked at the cost of Mr. Biden’s spending blowout, but in this case the
substance matters more than the money. A dramatic expansion of child care is a bad deal for
American parents.” (J.D. Vance and Jenet Erickson, Op-Ed, “Biden’s Daycare Plan Is Bad For Families,” The
• Vance: “More Important, It’s A Bad Deal For American Children.” (J.D. Vance and
Jenet Erickson, Op-Ed, “Biden’s Daycare Plan Is Bad For Families,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/21)
Vance Wrote That While High-Quality Care Was Beneficial For Some Children, “Young
Children From Average, Healthy Homes Can Be Harmed By Spending Long Hours In
Child Care.” “That doesn’t mean child care is bad for all kids. Research shows that high-quality
care is often beneficial for children from disadvantaged homes. But young children from
average, healthy homes can be harmed by spending long hours in child care.” (J.D. Vance and Jenet
Erickson, Op-Ed, “Biden’s Daycare Plan Is Bad For Families,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/21)
• Vance: “Moving Millions Of Young Children Out Of Their Homes Into

Nonparental Group Care Will Have Unintended Negative Effects On Children’s
Emotional And Social Well-Being.” (J.D. Vance and Jenet Erickson, Op-Ed, “Biden’s Daycare
Plan Is Bad For Families,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/21)
• Vance: “Public Policy Should Reflect What Most Parents Want Instead Of
Doubling Down On The Model Preferred By American Elites.” (J.D. Vance and Jenet
Erickson, Op-Ed, “Biden’s Daycare Plan Is Bad For Families,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/21)
Vance Wrote That He Supported Several Policies Including Sen. Josh Hawley’s
Refundable “Parent Credit” And Similar Proposals From Sens. Mitt Romney And Marco
Rubio. “Several current policy proposals would do that. Sen. Josh Hawley has proposed a
refundable ‘parent credit,’ paid monthly, that would give parents the flexibility to choose the best
path for their families. Parents could use the credit for child care if they wished, though evidence
suggests many would use it instead to scale back paid employment outside the home, at least
while their children are young. Sens. Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio have offered similarly
family-focused proposals in recent months. While these policies must be debated on their merits,
they all reflect a shared view: How parents want to raise their own children should drive policy,
not the values of an increasingly isolated American ruling class.” (J.D. Vance and Jenet Erickson, Op-
Ed, “Biden’s Daycare Plan Is Bad For Families,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/3/21)
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After His Wife Gave Birth To Their First Child, Vance Was Living In Columbus While
His Wife Lived In Washington, D.C. With Her Mother
In 2017, Vance’s Wife Worked In Washington, D.C. While Vance Worked In Columbus.
“There was a second reason to move east: Vance’s wife Usha had been offered a yearlong
clerkship with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts—one of the most coveted
jobs a young lawyer can get. They decided to split their time between Columbus and
Washington, D.C., for a year, then settle in Columbus. (Usha, who began work at the Supreme
Court in July, declined to be interviewed for this article, citing Supreme Court ethics rules.)”
(Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/28/17)
Vance Took A Rental Apartment In Columbus While “Usha Established A Second Home
Base In Washington With Her Mother.” “Adding to the complexity of their transition, Usha
became pregnant last fall. ‘We both really wanted to have a kid, and we were willing to endure
whatever sacrifices were necessary,’ Vance says. He took a rental apartment in German Village
last January, and Usha established a second home base in Washington with her mother.”
(Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/28/17)
Vance Supports Legislation To Expand Kinship Guardians In Ohio

In 2017, Vance Wrote An Op-Ed Noting The Positive Effect Of Kinship Guardians For
Child Welfare And The Need For Navigators To Assist These Guardians. “Child welfare
experts across the country have identified a potentially high-impact way to provide support to
kinship guardians: connecting them to information, services and benefits available to caregivers.
Professionals who help make these connections are called navigators. Many kinship guardians
are abruptly put into a situation where they are raising children without time to prepare. Thus,
navigators are critical to ensuring they're familiar with the resources available to them.
Navigators working with kinship guardians focus on connecting families in need to child care,
respite care, training related to caring for special needs children, legal services and other
resources. Importantly, navigators don't create new resources or give access to families who
aren't in need. Instead, navigators help communities maximize the resources available to them.
Navigators also ensure that publicly funded programs are reaching the families most in need.”
(J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Opioid Epidemic Heightens Need To Bolster Kinship Care Support In Ohio,” The Plain
Dealer, 11/19/17)
Vance Wrote That He Supported Ohio Legislation To Expand Support For Kinship
Guardians By Making Navigator Programs Mandatory Across The State. “Ohio law
permits the Department of Job and Family Services (JFS) to establish a statewide navigator
program for kinship guardians. Ohio law also permits JFS to provide funding to county children
services agencies for navigator programs. However, the availability of these navigators varies by
county. Some counties have more support for kinship guardians than others. Thus, many families
raise these children without any help. The Ohio House of Representatives is actively considering
legislation, House Bill 126, that would expand support for kinship guardians in Ohio by making
navigator programs mandatory across the state. Appropriately, the bill's short title is ‘Require
region-based kinship caregiver navigator program.’ Under the plan proposed in the bill,
navigator programs would be organized by region, not county, to ensure families in all counties
have equal access to the help a navigator provides.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Opioid Epidemic Heightens
Need To Bolster Kinship Care Support In Ohio,” The Plain Dealer, 11/19/17)
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VANCE APPEARS TO OPPOSE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS

PROGRAMS
Vance Criticized Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Proposals
In 2019, Vance Characterized Democratic Proposals To Cancel Student Loan Debt As A
“Big Handout” To Doctors And Other Highly-Educated Professionals. VANCE: “Well, at a
big level, the Democratic Party increasingly represents professional class elites.” CARLSON:
“Yes.” VANCE: “And Republicans represent middle and working class wage earners in the
middle of the country. Now, I will say, I think Democratic leaders kind of get this. If you look at
the big proposals from the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates -- universal child care, debt
free college, even Medicare-for-All, which is framed as this lurch to the left, but is really just a
big handout to doctors, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
However, Vance Indicated Support For Hillary Clinton’s Free-College Plan

In 2016, Vance Said, “Hillary's Idea For Free College Education Is A Good Impulse - But
The Reason A Lot Of Kids Don't Go Isn't Because They Can't Afford It.” “‘Hillary's idea
for free college education is a good impulse - but the reason a lot of kids don't go isn't because
they can't afford it. It's because they're so screwed up, so behind the educational curve, that they
can't handle it.’ Yet Vance acknowledges that among his class in particular - proud, independent,
forceful - any social programs, any attempt by government to intervene, would be rejected. No
matter who wins in November, ‘this is not a one-term presidential problem,’ Vance says. ‘These
people are going to struggle and continue to be struggling. It's a permanent underclass of many
ethnicities.’ Avent agrees.” (Maureen Callahan, “The New Permanent Underclass,” New York Post, 9/18/16)
VANCE IS OPPOSED TO EXPANDING HEALTHCARE ACCESS TO ALL
AMERICANS
Vance Criticized Medicare For All As A “Big Handout” To The Healthcare Sector
In 2019, Vance Characterized Medicare-For-All Proposals As A “Big Handout” To
Doctors, Pharmaceutical Companies And Hospitals. VANCE: “Well, at a big level, the
Democratic Party increasingly represents professional class elites.” CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE:
“And Republicans represent middle and working class wage earners in the middle of the country.
Now, I will say, I think Democratic leaders kind of get this. If you look at the big proposals from
the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates -- universal child care, debt free college, even
Medicare-for-All, which is framed as this lurch to the left, but is really just a big handout to
doctors, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,”
7/4/19)
VANCE EXPRESSED A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL VIEWS DURING

THE COVID PANDEMIC
Vance Criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer For Allowing Abortion
Clinics To Stay Open Under Her COVID-19 Lockdown Order
In 2020, Vance Criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer For Banning A Host Of
Activities Under Her COVID-19 Lockdown Orders, Including Medical Procedures Like
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Joint Replacements And Heart Surgery, But Allowing Abortion Clinics To Remain Open.
CARLSON: “J.D. Vance is the author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ He joins us tonight. J.D., thanks so
much for coming on. I think you and I agree -- I know that we do because we talk a lot -- that
this is a very serious illness that we should be afraid of and that we should take affirmative steps
to protect the population from, so I think we can just start there. Are you concerned however in
the way that some politicians have interpreted that mandate, that politics are getting involved? A
bunch of states have banned procedures like joint replacements, but kept elective abortion legal.
What does that tell us?” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR: “I think it tells us a couple of things, Tucker.
First is, it's pretty sad that things that are politically favored like abortion, like the abortion lobby
is deemed essential care, but things like heart surgeries, like joint replacements are not deemed
essential surgeries. Obviously, that means that a lot of people frankly are suffering and we know
they're suffering in a context where most hospitals outside of New York City are not overrun and
so you just have a lot of needless human suffering. That's really, really terrible. But the second
piece of this is like you said, Tucker, you and I think this is a serious problem, but if you think
that it's a serious problem then leaders need to be trusted. They need to have their orders
followed and in order for them to be followed, they actually have to be acting in good faith. And
so if you look at the list of things you're not allowed to do in Michigan right now, like buy
tomato seeds at Home Depot, like go fishing with a motorboat and you compare that to the
things that you are allowed to do in Michigan like get an abortion.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 4/17/20)
• Vance: “If I'm A Person Living In Michigan Right Now, I Wonder If Those
Restrictions Are About Public Health Or If They're About Who Has The Political
Line To The Governor? And I Think Unfortunately, For Some Of These Issues, We
Know The Answer.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 4/17/20)
• Vance: “At The End Of The Day, There's No Rational Public Health Justification
For Telling People They Can't Buy Tomatoes Seeds On The One Hand, But They
Can Buy Marijuana On The Other Or They Can Get An Abortion.” (Fox News’
Vance Criticized Public Health Experts And Elected Officials For Supporting Black
Lives Matter Protests While Condemning Anti-Lockdown Protests
In 2020, Elected Officials And Public Health Experts Who Had Criticized Gatherings
Protesting COVID-19 Lockdown Orders Endorsed Far Larger Protests Against Police
Violence Following The Death Of George Floyd. “It is frustrating some critics who feel
authorities are letting politics sway their recommendations. When far fewer people protested the
statewide lockdowns back in April, they were widely condemned by public health experts and
elected officials who said the gatherings could spike cases. Now, those same experts argue that
protesting police violence is more important than trying to avoid the coronavirus. Medical
professionals even gathered Saturday in New York City’s Union Square and elsewhere for their
own ‘White Coats for Black Lives’ demonstration. More than 1,200 health professionals, many
of them from the University of Washington’s Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
signed a letter saying they support protests of police violence — but not protests of stay-athome
orders. ‘We do not condemn these gatherings as risky for covid-19 transmission,’ the letter says.
‘We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically
of Black people in the United States…This should not be confused with a permissive stance on
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all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders.’” (Paige Winfield Cunningham And
Paulina Firozi, “The Health 202: Americans Were Told To 'Stay At Home.' Now Some Experts Say Anti-Racism
Protests Are Okay,” Washington Post, 6/8/20)
Vance Criticized The Changing Stance On Public Gatherings, Saying “In A Country Of
330 Million People, Many Will Have Their Own Causes For Violating Guidelines. And You
Can't Just Tell Them, ‘Well, YOU Have To Follow The Rules Because Your *Worthy*
Causes Are Stupid And Bad.’” J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy, pointed out the
disconnect:…‘Alternatively, say the protests are OK because your cause is just. But in a country
of 330 million people, many will have their own causes for violating guidelines. And you can't
just tell them, ‘well, YOU have to follow the rules because your *worthy* causes are stupid and
bad.’’” (Paige Winfield Cunningham And Paulina Firozi, “The Health 202: Americans Were Told To 'Stay At
Home.' Now Some Experts Say Anti-Racism Protests Are Okay,” Washington Post, 6/8/20)
Vance: “I’m Still Amazed At How Quickly The Moral Scolding Ceased As Soon As Elite-
Favored Protests Began Taking Place. … It Has Further Eroded Trust In Our Country’s
Experts.” “But we don’t live in a normal society; we live in a white one. And so it shouldn’t be
surprising that some white people have used this moment not to think about how the victims of
police brutality can avoid being revictimized by an infectious disease but instead to call
hypocrisy on public health organizations and the progressives who support protests against
police violence. Whiteness apologist J.D. Vance weighed in: ‘I’m still amazed at how quickly
the moral scolding ceased as soon as elite-favored protests began taking place. (I guess I
shouldn’t be amazed anymore. I should just expect it.) But it has further eroded trust in our
country’s experts.’” (Elie Mystal, “The Bravery of Marching for Black Lives in the Middle of a Pandemic,” The
Nation, 6/10/20)
VANCE SUPPORTS PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION ACCESS

Vance Supported Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill
Vance Criticized Stacey Abrams For Opposing Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill. “But when I think
about the modern Democratic Party’s rhetoric on abortion, the thing that worries me most is not
what they’ve said about third trimester abortions, it’s what Stacey Abrams said about the
Georgia heartbeat bill not long ago, that it was bad for business. And of course, she’s right.
Workers with children are more expensive, their healthcare policies cost more, they are less
dedicated to their jobs and more dedicated to their families, and I say we want more of those
workers and less of Stacey Abrams’ workers.” (J.D. Vance, Speech To American Conservative
Conference, 5/9/19)
Vance Opposes Third-Trimester Abortions

In 2019, Vance Said Conservatives Were “Rightfully Worried, And Even Appalled” By
Many Democrats’ Support For Third-Trimester Abortions. “We are on the Right rightfully
worried, and even appalled, by some of the rhetoric from the Left on abortion these days.
Governor Northam of Virginia talking about aborting a child in the third trimester, the fact that
every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has endorsed, in some measure, third trimester
abortion.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
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Vance Has Stated He Does Not Support Abortion Exceptions In The Case Of Rape
Vance Said He Would Support Banning Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape, Incest, Calling
Rape “Inconvenient.” “In a local news interview published Wednesday, author and venture
capitalist turned Senate candidate J.D. Vance suggested he would support prohibiting abortion
even in cases of rape and incest—and dismissed those catalysts as ‘inconvenient.’” ‘It’s not
whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term; it’s whether a child should be
allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or
a problem to the society,’ said Vance, who lags behind several Republican candidates in his Ohio
primary. ‘The question to me is really about the baby. We want women to have opportunities, we
want women to have choices, but, above all, we want women and young boys in the womb to
have a right to life.” (The Daily Beast, 9/23/21)
2021: Vance Was Interviewed By Spectrum News 1 And Described Pregnancy Due To
Rape Or Incest As A Situation Where “The Circumstances The Child's Birth Are
Somehow Inconvenient.” “CURTIS JACKSON: Should a woman be forced to carry a child to
term after she has been the victim of incest, or rape? VANCE: Look my view on this has been
very clear. And I think the question betrays a certain presumption that's wrong. It's not whether
women should be forced to bring a child to term it's whether a child should be allowed to live,
even though the circumstances the child's birth are somehow inconvenient, or a problem to the
society. The question really, to me is about the baby. We want women to have opportunities. We
want women to have choices. But above all, we want women and young boys in the womb to
have the right to life. Right now. Our society doesn't afford that. I think it's a tragedy. And I think
we can do better.” (Spectrum News 1, 9/22/21)
Vance Compared Abortion to Slavery. “JD Vance compared abortion to slavery in an
interview last fall, drawing a controversial parallel between America’s original sin and a
procedure that until recently was a constitutional right.“There’s something comparable between
abortion and slavery, and that while the people who obviously suffer the most are those subjected
to it, I think it has this morally distorting effect on the entire society,” Vance, the GOP nominee
for an open Ohio Senate seat, said in an interview with the Catholic Current last October. Vance
then referenced Abraham Lincoln’s quote “I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master,”
before arguing that because of abortion, many Americans have “begun to see children as
inconveniences to be discarded, instead of blessings to cherish.” “I really think abortion has
really done something very socially destructive to us as people in how we see the most
vulnerable and the most dependent among us,” Vance continued. “I think that’s one of the
underappreciated facts about abortion. It’s really distorted our entire society.” (Vice, 7/7/22)
Vance Said “Not Right Now” When Asked About A National Abortion Ban.” “[00:01]
INTERVIEWER: And if elected, would you support a federal ban on abortion? [00:06] JD
VANCE: I think that-- what I, what I really think on, on the ru-- so first of all the Dobbs
decision, everybody knows overruled Roe vs. Wade. I think that was the right decision, kicks it
back to legislatures at the federal and the state level. My view on this is let the states try to figure
this out for now. Ohio has a heartbeat bill. I think that's a good bill. Florida has gone a slightly
different direction. Virginia has gone a slightly different direction. When we're figuring this new
legal regime out. I think it makes sense right now to let the state's decide this stuff. And right
now, states are moving into pro life direction. I think that's a good thing. [00:35]
INTERVIEWER: And it sounds like then that you don't think that the Senate or the federal
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government should have a role on abortion. [00:40] JD VANCE: Not right now. Not right now. I
think I think right now we need to let the states figure this stuff out. The ruling is new, the laws
are new, the legal regime is new. And what the Supreme Court I think really gave us an
opportunity to do was to focus on this stuff at the state level. (NBC News, 7/8/22)
Vance Is Noted As Having Expressed That Divorce Is Too Common And That Women
In Violent Marriage Should Stay In Them For The Sake Of Their Children
HEADLINE: Vice: “JD Vance Suggests People in ‘Violent’ Marriages Shouldn’t Get
Divorced.” (Vice, 7/25/22)
• Vice: “Vance Said People Need To Be More Willing To Stay In Unhappy Marriages
For The Sake Of Their Kids—And Seemed To Suggest That In Some Cases, ‘Even
Violent’ Marriages Should Continue.” “JD Vance said people need to be more willing
to stay in unhappy marriages for the sake of their kids—and seemed to suggest that in
some cases, ‘even violent’ marriages should continue. The Ohio Republican Senate
nominee, talking to Pacifica Christian High School in Southern California last
September, gave an extended answer that claimed that people now ‘shift spouses like
they change their underwear,’ and that it had done long-term damage to a generation of
children.” (Vice, 7/25/22)
HEADLINE: CNN: “Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Argues 'Violent', 'Unhappy' Marriages
Shouldn't End In Divorce.” (CNN, 7/28/22)
• Chris Cillizza: “In Comments Unearthed By Vice News That Just Went Public, But
Vance Actually Made Last September, He Seemed To Encourage Women In Violent
Relationships To Stay In Them.” (CNN, 7/28/22)
• Chris Cillizza: “You Heard Him Right. Vance Is Suggesting That People Should
Stay In Unhappy Or Even Violent Marriages Because… Uh… People Now ‘Shift
Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear.’” (CNN, 7/28/22)
HEADLINE: HuffPost: “J.D. Vance: People Should Stay In 'Violent' Marriages For The
Sake Of The Kids” (HuffPost, 7/26/22)
• Huffpost: “Ohio GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Apparently Thinks A Bad
Marriage Is Better Than No Marriage.” “Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance
apparently thinks a bad marriage is better than no marriage ― at least when kids are
involved. The ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author expressed as much while speaking at a southern
California high school last September, as seen in a video recently shared by Vice News.”
(HuffPost, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: People: “Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Explains Comments About
People Staying in Unhappy, 'Even Violent' Marriages.” (People, 7/26/22)
• People: “The Republican Author Of Hillbilly Elegy Said Last September That
Americans Were Tricked By The Sexual Revolution Into Thinking It’s Okay To
‘Shift Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear.’” (People, 7/26/22)
• People: “Vance, Who's Running For Senate In Ohio, Explained Comments He
Made About People Who ‘Shift Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear’ To
Leave Unhappy Or ‘Even Violent’ Marriages.” “Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance,
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who's running for Senate in Ohio, explained comments he made about people who ‘shift
spouses like they change their underwear’ to leave unhappy or ‘even violent’ marriages.”
(People, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: The Independent: “JD Vance Suggested Women In Violent Relationships

Should Not Get Divorced For The Sake Of Children.” (The Independent, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: Vanity Fair: “GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance: If People Love Their Kids,
They’ll Stay in Violent Marriages.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “Vance Claimed That Divorce Inflicts Terrible Harm On Children
And That It Would Be Better For People In Unhappy Marriages To Stay Together,
Even If Said Marriages Are ‘Violent.’” “Speaking to Pacifica Christian High School
last September, with the interview published by Vice News on Monday, Vance claimed
that divorce inflicts terrible harm on children and that it would be better for people in
unhappy marriages to stay together, even if said marriages are ‘violent.’ Vance told the
audience: ‘My grandparents had an incredibly chaotic marriage in a lot of ways. But they
never got divorced. They were together to the end, till death do us part—that was a really
important thing to my grandmother and my grandfather. That was clearly not true by the
’70s or ’80s. And I think that probably, I was personally, and a lot the kids in my
community who grew up in my generation, personally suffered from the fact that a lot of
moms and dads saw marriage as a basic contract, like any other business deal.” (Vanity
Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “It’s Extremely Disturbing That This Person Who Wants To Become
One Of The Most Powerful People In Ohio Has Also Suggested That It Was A Good
Thing That Two Violent People—One Of Whom Apparently Tried To Kill The
Other—Stayed Together.” “While Vance writes that his grandparents’ marriage
improved by the time he was a kid, and that the two were a stable force in his life, it’s
extremely disturbing that this person who wants to become one of the most powerful
people in Ohio has also suggested that it was a good thing that two violent people—one
of whom apparently tried to kill the other—stayed together, recommending that others
take a page from their playbook.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “If Vance’s Advice For Married Couples Were Taken, It Would No
Doubt Hurt Women The Most, As They Are Disproportionately Affected By
Domestic Violence.” “While the above anecdote is obviously about a woman inflicting
violence on a man, if Vance’s advice for married couples were taken, it would no doubt
hurt women the most, as they are disproportionately affected by domestic violence. And
while it probably won’t be news to anyone but Vance, according to the World Health
Organization, ‘children who grow up in families where there is violence may suffer a
range of behavioral and emotional disturbances. These can also be associated with
perpetrating or experiencing violence later in life.’ WHO also notes that ‘intimate partner
violence has also been associated with higher rates of infant and child mortality and
morbidity.’ So yeah, maybe don’t listen to this guy about anything.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: Newsweek: “J.D. Vance Slammed For Suggesting Women Stay In Violent
Marriages.” (Newsweek, 7/25/22)
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• Newsweek: “Vance, The Trump-Backed Republican Nominee To Replace Retiring

GOP Senator Rob Portman Of Ohio, Is Facing Fierce Backlash Over A Report That
He Made Comments Urging Women To Stay In ‘Violent’ Marriages.” “J.D. Vance,
the Trump-backed Republican nominee to replace retiring GOP Senator Rob Portman of
Ohio, is facing fierce backlash over a report that he made comments urging women to
stay in ‘violent’ marriages, which he has denied. Vance lashed out at people who ‘shift
spouses like they change their underwear’ during a talk at Pacifica Christian High School
in Newport Beach, California, last September, according to an article published on
Monday by Vice News. The Ohio Republican and Hillbilly Elegy author said that ‘one of
the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace’ was
convincing people in ‘unhappy’ or ‘even violent’ marriages that getting divorced would
‘make people happier in the long term,’ according to Vice.” (Newsweek, 7/25/22)
2021: VIDEO: Vance Condemns Divorce Even In Cases Of Domestic Violence. Vance: “But
if you recognize that moms and dads really are different, that men and women need different
things, you recognize we've got a real problem here. And we continue to have a real problem
here. But I mean, culturally, something has clearly shifted. I mean, I think it's easy, but also
probably true to blame the sexual revolution in the 1960s. My grandparents had an incredibly
chaotic marriage in a lot of ways. But they never got divorced, right, they were together to the
end till death do us part, that was a really important thing to my grandmother and my
grandfather. That was clearly not true by the 70s, or 80s. And I think that probably, you know, I
was personally and a lot of the kids in my community grew up in my generation, personally
suffered from the fact that a lot of moms and dads saw marriage as a basic contract, right, like
any other business deal, once it becomes no longer good for one of the parties, or both of the
parties. You just dissolve it and go on to a new business relationship. But that recognition that
marriage was sacred, I think was a really powerful thing that held a lot of families together. And
when it disappeared, unfortunately, a lot of kids suffered. And this is one of the great tricks that I
think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is this idea that like, Well,
okay, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were, they were maybe even violent,
but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them, and making it easier for people to
shift spouses, like they changed their underwear, that's going to make people happier in the long
term. And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads. Though I'm skeptical. But it really didn't
work out for the kids of those marriages. And I think that's what all of us should be honest about
is we've run this experiment in real time. And what we have is a lot of very, very real family
dysfunction that's making our kids unhappy.” (Pacifica Christian High School, Vance Lecture, [00:40:40],
9/3/2021)
2021: AUDIO: Vance Described Divorce As A “Bad Decision.” Vance: “So I think in a lot of
ways, we have to accept that we're already paying families to do things. It's a question of whether
we're paying them to make good decisions, or we're paying them to make bad decisions. And I'd
say staying married, having children is much better than getting divorced and sitting at home all
day. And that really, to me is the fundamental issue. I actually, I don't think that the goal here is a
massive expansion in the amount of money that we're spending on social welfare, we actually
spent a ton of money on social welfare, we just spend it on very stupid purposes.” (Michael
Knowles Show Vance Interview, [00:12:53], 12/28/2021)
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VANCE HAS EXPRESSED CONTROVERSIAL VIEWS CONCERNING

AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES
Vance Accused Chinese Graduate Students Of “Conspir[ing] To Steal Our Intellectual
Property”
In 2020, Vance Called For The Governor To “Aggressively Investigate And Prosecute
University Professors—And Their Chinese National Graduate Students—Who Conspire
To Steal Our Intellectual Property.” “Meanwhile, we can take direct aim at the institutions
that stand at the nexus of elite credentialism and globalism: our prestigious universities. We’ve
learned recently how financially dependent Ivy League universities are on donations from
overseas oligarchs, and that they’ve apparently hidden that dependence from our own
Department of Education. Penalize those donations and the endowments that have grown in their
midst, and aggressively investigate and prosecute university professors—and their Chinese
national graduate students—who conspire to steal our intellectual property.” (JD Vance, “End the
Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
Vance Called For Penalizing Universities That Accept Donations From Foreign
Counties
In 2020, Vance Called For Penalizing Universities That Accept Donations From Foreign
Counties. “Meanwhile, we can take direct aim at the institutions that stand at the nexus of elite
credentialism and globalism: our prestigious universities. We’ve learned recently how financially
dependent Ivy League universities are on donations from overseas oligarchs, and that they’ve
apparently hidden that dependence from our own Department of Education. Penalize those
donations and the endowments that have grown in their midst, and aggressively investigate and
prosecute university professors—and their Chinese national graduate students—who conspire to
steal our intellectual property.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind,
4/21/20)
In 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Stating “The Anti-Whiteness Movement,

Mainstreamed By American Universities And Corporations, Has Blood On Its Hands”
In November 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Stating “The Anti-Whiteness Movement,
Mainstreamed By American Universities And Corporations, Has Blood On Its Hands.”
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VANCE HAS PUSHED PSEUDO-CHRISTIAN VALUES ENCOURAGING

THE TRADITIONAL NUCLEAR FAMILY
Vance Has Called For Policies To Encourage Families To Have More Children
In 2019, Vance Said The Conservative Movement Needed To Be “For Families Explicitly.”
“But we're for a lot of people. We're for people like my grandma who raised me, who picked up
the slack when no one else in my family could, who couldn't afford her prescription drugs, but
made sure that I had a calculator that I needed so that I could do well in math class in high
school. We're for American workers who want to build a life in their homes with dignified jobs
and raise the families supported by those dignified jobs. And I think, on this topic of family
policy, we've got to be for families and we've got to be for families explicitly.” (JD Vance, Speech to
National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
Vance Said Conservatives Should Support Policies To Encourage Families To Have More
Children. “But at a fundamental level, if we're worried about moms and dads not being as
involved at home, if we're worried about rising rates of childhood trauma, if we're worried about
the fact that in this country today, for maybe the first extended period in our country's history,
we're not even having enough children in this country to replace ourselves. If we're worried
about those problems, then we have to be willing to pursue a politics that actually wants to
accomplish something besides just making government smaller.” (JD Vance, Speech to National
Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
Vance: “I Would Say That We Should Care About Declining Fertility, Not Just Because
It's Bad For Our Economy, But Because We Think Babies Are Good, And We Think
Babies Are Good Because We're Not Sociopaths.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism
Conference, 7/1/19)
Vance Said The Conservative Movement Should Champion A “Family Policy That Made It
Easier For American Families To Care For Their Children, To Educate Their Children,
To Ensure That Their Children Had Access To High Quality Healthcare.” “And it would
build a family policy that made it easier for American families to care for their children, to
educate their children, to ensure that their children had access to high quality healthcare, and that
recognized, at some fundamental level, that we are all in this together as Americans. And if we
want to live in a country that's prosperous, and free, and secure, and safe, and dynamic, we've
got to have the next generation of Americans able to live their American dream, whatever form
that might take.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
Vance: “We're For American Workers Who Want To Build A Life In Their Homes With
Dignified Jobs And Raise The Families Supported By Those Dignified Jobs.” (JD Vance,
Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
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VANCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT LAWS REQUIRING BUSINESSES TO

CLOSE ON SUNDAYS
Vance Seemingly Supports “Blue Laws,” Requiring Businesses To Close On Sundays
In 2020, Vance Seemingly Argued In Favor Of State “Blue Laws” – Laws Requiring
Businesses To By Closed On Sunday – Because They Increased Church Attendance. “Frank
Meyer famously tried to square the circle, arguing, in effect, that virtue required a lack of
constraint. A man who remains loyal to his wife out of legal pressure is not nearly so virtuous—
perhaps not virtuous at all—as the man who remains loyal to his wife purely out of individual
moral willpower. Brent Bozell dismantled this argument years ago: we are concerned with
people behaving well, and if cultural (and legal) pressures encourage them to do it, that’s just
fine. Research by Jonathan Gruber has found that state ‘blue laws’—laws that force businesses to
close on Sunday—increase church attendance. Aside from spiritual benefits, Robert Putnam has
chronicled how church attendance is actually a positive social good for many attendees. While
we might praise the meritorious worker who finds his way to church despite working a 12-hour
shift on Sunday, the average traditionalist will (correctly) want to make a life of virtue easier,
and not harder.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
Vance: “So Close The Damn Businesses On Sunday. Commercial Freedom Will Suffer.
Moral Behavior Will Not, And Our Society Will Be Much The Better For It.” (JD Vance, “End
the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
VANCE APPEARS TO OPPOSE THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA

Vance Has Criticized Marijuana Legalization
In 2019, Vance Criticized Marijuana Legalization, Saying It Had Increased Marijuana Use
In The “Lower Class” And Caused “A Host Of Social Problems.” “And, as Mr. Carlson
mentioned, there are marijuana companies pushing for legalization, though we know from the
Colorado experience that legalization increases use, and from other studies that use is
concentrated among the lower class, causing a host of social problems in the process.” (JD Vance,
“The Health Of Nations,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/8/19)
However, Vance Previously Called On Republicans To “Get Serious” About The

Punishment Of Black Fathers For Marijuana Possession
In 2014, Vance Indicated Support For Reforming Marijuana Laws Which He Noted
Affected Blacks More Than Whites. “And since we’re living in a world where fatherhood does
matter, perhaps it’s time for conservatives to get serious about the fact that black fathers are
more likely than white ones to be ripped from their families for marijuana possession.” (J.D.
Vance, Op-Ed, “The Missing Case Against Reparations,” National Review, 5/28/14)
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VANCE PUSHED TRUMP TO NOMINATE CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE

BRETT KAVANAUGH TO THE SUPREME COURT
Vance Wrote An Op-Ed In The Wall Street Journal Urging Trump To Select Brett
Kavanaugh For The Supreme Court
In Early July 2018, Vance Wrote An Op-Ed In The Wall Street Journal Urging President
Trump To Select Brett Kavanaugh For The Supreme Court Seat Being Vacated By Judge
Anthony Kennedy. “What should President Trump look for in a Supreme Court nominee?
Exactly what he did with his selection of Justice Neil Gorsuch and his slate of lower-court
nominees. He should ask one question: Who is best at being a judge, as demonstrated by a
consistent record of applying textualist and originalist reasoning to significant legal questions?
Given the reported options Mr. Trump is now considering, the answer is obvious: Judge Brett
Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed,
“The Case for Brett Kavanaugh,” Wall Street Journal, 7/2/18)
Vance Called Kavanaugh A “Committed Textualist And Originalist.” “That said, his
qualifications stand on their own. First, he has the necessary intellectual commitments. He is a
committed textualist and originalist, one whose time on the bench has revealed a unique ability
to apply these principles to legal facts. He deeply believes in the constitutional separation of
powers as a means for ensuring governmental accountability and protecting individual liberty.”
(JD Vance, Op-Ed, “The Case for Brett Kavanaugh,” Wall Street Journal, 7/2/18)
Vance Praised Kavanaugh’s Record Of “Taking Power Away From Unelected Bureaucrats
And Returning It To Elected Officials.” “From the start of his career, he’s applied the
Constitution faithfully, even when that made him a lonely voice. He has done so with particular
tenacity on the issue that matters most to the president: taking power away from unelected
bureaucrats and returning it to elected officials. Consider his 2008 dissent in Free Enterprise
Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, arguing that an administrative agency
violated the separation of powers. In 2010 the Supreme Court agreed with Judge Kavanaugh, in a
5-4 opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts. Judge Kavanaugh’s PCAOB opinion also
served as a foundation for his recent opinions in PHH v. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
in which he made a similar case against Elizabeth Warren’s brainchild, the CFPB.” (JD Vance, Op-
Ed, “The Case for Brett Kavanaugh,” Wall Street Journal, 7/2/18)
Vance Highlighted Kavanaugh’s Rulings In Favor Of The Conservative Viewpoint On A

Host Of Issues, Including Abortion, Contraception, The Second Amendment, And Legal
Protections For Police Officers. “His judicial record spans just about every important area of
the law, and conservatives should be happy with the results. He sided with the Trump
administration in rejecting the American Civil Liberties Union's demand that the government
facilitate an immediate abortion for an illegal-alien teenager in federal custody. He rejected the
Obama administration's attempt to coerce religious groups to provide contraception to
employees. He stood by Scalia's strong originalist interpretation of the Second Amendment and
rejected balancing tests designed to undermine the right to keep and bear arms. He upheld
labeling requirements on foreign-made products designed to protect American manufacturers
and farmers. He has protected police officers acting in good faith against unwarranted damage
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verdicts, most recently in a case in which the Supreme Court vindicated his position in a 9-0
opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “The Case for Brett Kavanaugh,” Wall Street
Journal, 7/2/18)
Vance Defended Kavanaugh From Criticism From Some Conservatives Regarding His
Rulings On Two Cases Involving ObamaCare. “Fealty to principle sometimes requires setting
aside one's own preferences. Judge Kavanaugh has come under fire in some quarters of the right
for a handful of opinions-notably two involving challenges against ObamaCare--in which he
aimed to rule narrowly and fairly rather than politically. In one, he dissented from an opinion
that upheld the individual mandate. He observed that the individual mandate ‘is unprecedented in
American history’ and cast doubt on its validity under either the Commerce or Taxing clause. In
another, he rejected what the conservative scholar Ed Whelan calls ‘a very adventuresome
Origination Clause challenge.’” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “The Case for Brett Kavanaugh,” Wall Street Journal,
7/2/18)
After Kavanaugh’s Nomination Was Announced, Vance Praised Him And Predicted He
Would Do “Incredibly Well” In His Confirmation Hearings. BRUCE: “How do you expect
this process to affect him? And what do you expect once he does get on the Supreme Court,
which I fully expect? Do you think that he will continue, once he's in this job that he can never
lose, do you think his character will continue to shine through in that regard?” J.D. VANCE,
STUDENT OF JUDGE KAVANAUGH: “Absolutely. I think the process, I don't expect to really
affect him a ton because he's already an incredibly grounded person. He cares about his family.
He's got a great relationship with his kids and with his community. He's the sort of person who is
going to go to the confirmation process knowing that he has people supporting him and knowing,
frankly, that his convictions are true and that his convictions are rooted in this really deep - really
intellect of his. So, I think he'll do incredibly well in the confirmation hearings. I think
everybody will see what Jen and I have seen up close that he's just this incredibly thoughtful and
caring person and that will shine through in the hearings.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,”
7/10/18)
Vance: “When He Gets On The Bench, I Think He's Going To Be Really A Shining Star
On The Supreme Court.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 7/10/18)
Vance Signed A Public Letter Praising Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To The
Supreme Court
In July 2018, A Group Of Yale Law School Alumni Wrote A Public Letter Criticizing The
School For Issuing A Press Release On Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court Nomination
That They Felt Was Too Complimentary Of Kavanaugh. “In the days since President
Trump's nomination of Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, Yale Law School - the
judge's alma mater - has become a hotbed of debate over the choice. The argument isn't just
about Kavanaugh's positions and the impact of his nomination, but also about what the school
should be saying about him. Alexandra Brodsky was at a rally in Washington within hours of
Trump's announcement, surrounded by pro-choice signs and shouting phrases like ‘Stop
Kavanaugh.’ She was still there when she glanced down at her phone to see that her alma mater,
Yale Law, had issued a news release acknowledging the nomination. To Brodsky, a 2016
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alumna, it was more than an acknowledgment. She read quotations from professors and from the
dean, Heather Gerken, and thought the release was far too positive. She felt that the school had
‘praised’ Kavanaugh, a 1990 alumnus, while ignoring his potential impact on the court and
American jurisprudence. That's what led Brodsky, along with 20 to 30 other alumni, to draft a
letter to Gerken, rebuking the institution for seeming to throw its support to Kavanaugh.” (Teghan
Simonton, “Feuding Letters at Yale Law Expose Divisions Over Supreme Court Nomination,” Chronicle of Higher
Education, 7/12/18)
The Letter Criticized Kavanaugh’s Perceived Views On Issues Like Abortion And Gay
Rights, And Warned That “People Will Die” If He Was Confirmed. “‘We write today as Yale
Law students, alumni, and educators ashamed of our alma mater,’ the letter begins. In 10
paragraphs, the letter condemns the school and lists reasons for concern over Kavanaugh's
nomination, referencing controversial cases in his legal career. Among other things, the letter
mentions the perceived effect that Kavanaugh's presence on the court would have on constraining
abortion rights, and on permitting discrimination against gay people. ‘Perhaps Judge Kavanaugh
will be less likely to hire your favorite students,’ the letter says. ‘But people will die if he is
confirmed.’ The letter concludes by asking the school to use its ‘authority and platform to expose
the stakes of this moment and the threat that Judge Kavanaugh poses.’” (Teghan Simonton, “Feuding
Letters at Yale Law Expose Divisions Over Supreme Court Nomination,” Chronicle of Higher Education, 7/12/18)
Vance Signed A Competing Letter Praising Yale Law School’s Press Release And
Declaring “We Are Proud Of Judge Kavanaugh's Nomination, And Believe That His
Accomplishments And Qualifications Speak For Themselves.” “But also on Thursday,
another group of students and alumni of Yale Law released a competing letter - defending the
school's language in the news release and expressing support for Kavanaugh's nomination. ‘We
are proud of Judge Kavanaugh's nomination, and believe that his accomplishments and
qualifications speak for themselves,’ it says. ‘We admire the Yale Law faculty who have spoken
in support of Judge Kavanaugh's qualifications and commitment to the Constitution.’ This letter
goes on to quote the professors and alumni in the original news release, and contains the
signatures of more than 100 professors, alumni, and current students at Yale Law. The list of
signatories continued to grow on Thursday…Signatories of the pro-Kavanaugh letter include
J.D. Vance, a 2013 alumnus and author of the best seller Hillbilly Elegy, and Roger Clegg,
president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative think tank.” (Teghan Simonton,
“Feuding Letters at Yale Law Expose Divisions Over Supreme Court Nomination,” Chronicle of Higher Education,
7/12/18)
Vance Said That Kavanaugh’s Views On Constitutional Interpretation Were More

Important Than His Views On Specific Policy Issues
Vance Said That Kavanaugh’s Views On Specific Public Policy Matters Should Not
Matter, Only His Views On The Constitution And How To Properly Interpret It. VANCE:
“Well so just a couple of responses, first on the question of judge Kavanagh’s views which you
talked about a little bit earlier, again I’d segment what you think the proper public policy should
be from what a constitutional Supreme Court should rule under our system. So I think judge
Kavanagh’s views about the Constitution are really what we should we should be talking about,
not whether he wants to move us in a given public policy direction. Because I know to judge
Kavanagh quite well, and I think his view is that on a lot of these topics the Legislature should
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be deciding, the people should be deciding how we move in a policy direction. The court should
largely leave the public to make those decisions themselves.” (MSNBC’s “MSNBC Live,” via
youtube, 7/11/18)
Vance: “So I Think Judge Kavanagh’s Views About The Constitution Are Really What We
Should We Should Be Talking About, Not Whether He Wants To Move Us In A Given
Public Policy Direction.” (MSNBC’s “MSNBC Live,” via youtube, 7/11/18)
Vance Praised Kavanaugh’s Teaching Abilities And Predicted They Would Make Him
A Good Supreme Court Justice
In 2018, Vance – Who Had Kavanaugh As A Professor At Yale – Praised Kavanaugh’s
Teaching Abilities And Predicted That They Would Make Him A Good Supreme Court
Justice. “But J.D. Vance, author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ and a former student of Kavanaugh’s at
Yale, said good teachers and good judges shared important qualities, including civility and
intellectual honesty. ‘He really didn’t like it when you’d try to tear down another argument
unfairly,’ said Vance, whose wife, Usha Vance, served as a law clerk to Kavanaugh. ‘He really
wanted you to identify the best version of an argument and not assume that your intellectual
opponents were all idiots. That goes to how he’ll treat litigants. It goes to how he’ll treat his
colleagues on the bench.’” (Adam Liptak, “Kavanaugh's Law Students Sang His Praises Over the Years,” The
Vance Defended Kavanaugh And His Supporters During The Confirmation Hearings
In 2018, The Guardian Reported That Yale Law School Professor Amy Chua Had Advised
Female Law Students Seeming To Clerk For Kavanaugh It Was “No Accident” That Many
Of His Female Clerks “Looked Like Models” And Advised Them To Dress “Model-Like.
For Their Interview” “A top professor at Yale Law School who strongly endorsed supreme
court nominee Brett Kavanaugh as a “mentor to women” privately told a group of law students
last year that it was ‘not an accident’ that Kavanaugh’s female law clerks all ‘looked like
models’ and would provide advice to students about their physical appearance if they wanted to
work for him, the Guardian has learned. Amy Chua, a Yale professor who wrote a bestselling
book on parenting called Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, was known for instructing female
law students who were preparing for interviews with Kavanaugh on ways they could dress to
exude a ‘model-like’ femininity to help them win a post in Kavanaugh’s chambers, according to
sources.” (Stephanie Kirchgaessner, “'No Accident' Brett Kavanaugh's Female Law Clerks 'Looked Like Models',
Yale Professor Told Students,” The Guardian, 9/20/18)
Chua Denied The Allegations, Calling Them “Outrageous.” “The school has also worked to
widen the pool of those who become clerks, and Ms. Chua, who is also the author of the
parenting book, ‘The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,’ has been one of the most effective
mentors for women and students of color, Ms. Rangappa said. The Guardian, quoting
anonymous students, said that Ms. Chua told students it was ‘no accident’ that Judge
Kavanaugh's female clerks ‘looked like models’ and advised female students about their physical
appearance, in essence condoning the practice. Ms. Chua, who is not teaching this semester as
she recovers from what she said was major surgery, forcefully denied the account in a statement:
‘Everything that is being said about the advice I give to students applying to Brett Kavanaugh --
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or any judge -- is outrageous, 100 percent false, and the exact opposite of everything I have stood
for and said for the last 15 years.’” (David W. Chen, “At Yale, Students Demand a 'Reckoning' Amid
Kavanaugh Allegations,” The New York Times, 9/27/18)
Vance Defended Chua On Twitter, Praising Her Effectiveness As A Mentor At Yale. “Some
notable alumni took to Twitter to defend her. J.D. Vance, the author of the best-selling ‘Hillbilly
Elegy,’ praised her record as a mentor and said that ‘if you want poor kids and other
nontraditional students to succeed at Yale, you should reward her and then clone her.’” (David W.
Chen, “At Yale, Students Demand a 'Reckoning' Amid Kavanaugh Allegations,” The New York Times, 9/27/18)
In 2018, Zina Bash – A Former White House Staffer And Kavanaugh Law Clerk – Was
Accused Of Flashing A White Power Symbol At Kavanaugh’s Confirmation Hearing. “A
former White House staffer was accused by some on Twitter of making a white supremacist
symbol during confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday
— causing her husband to publicly defend her and point out that she is Jewish, Mexican-
American and the descendant of Holocaust survivors. The online furor about Zina Gelman
Bash’s alleged hand symbol spread on Twitter Tuesday — despite attempts by supporters and
journalists to point out her heritage. Bash, who previously clerked for Kavanaugh, was spotted
sitting behind the Supreme Court nominee during the Senate hearing Tuesday making what
appeared to be an ‘OK’ sign with her hand, which some say is associated with white power
symbols. The Anti-Defamation League has said the ‘OK’ hand gesture is not an actual symbol
of white power.” (Mahita Gajanan, “A Kavanaugh Supporter Was Accused of Making a White Power Symbol.
She's a Descendant of Holocaust Survivors,” Time, 9/4/18)
Vance Defended Bash On Twitter, Calling Bash A “Friend” And Telling Her Attackers To
“Not Let Your Lunacy Shade Into Slander Of Good People.” “Others defended Bash or said
that the whole thing was getting blown out of proportion. Author J.D. Vance said, ‘Zina is a
friend of mine, and I’ve never heard her utter a racist remark. She was born in Mexico and is
raising a beautiful family in her adopted home. Try not to let your lunacy shade into slander of
good people.’” (Aaron Keller, “Husband Defends Lawyer Accused of Making ‘White Power’ Gesture at
Kavanaugh Hearing,” Law & Crime, 9/4/18)
Usha Vance Clerked For Kavanaugh

Usha Vance Clerked For Kavanaugh When He Was On The U.S. Court Of Appeals. “Ms.
Vance returned to the firm after clerking for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. of the U.S.
Supreme Court. She also clerked for Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit and Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern
District of Kentucky.” (Munger Tolles & Olson, LLP, Website, Accessed February 2024)
Notably, Vance Has Complained The Conservative Legal Movement Had Betrayed
Social Conservatives After A SCOTUS Ruling Against LGBT Workplace
Discrimination
In 2020, The Supreme Court Ruled That Federal Civil Rights Law Protected Gay And
Transgender Workers From Workplace Discrimination. “The Supreme Court ruled on
Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay and transgender workers from workplace
discrimination, handing the movement for L.G.B.T. equality a long-sought and unexpected
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victory. ‘An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the
law,’ Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote for the majority in the 6-to-3 ruling. That opinion and two
dissents, spanning 168 pages, touched on a host of flash points in the culture wars involving the
L.G.B.T. community — bathrooms, locker rooms, sports, pronouns and religious objections to
same-sex marriage. The decision, the first major case on transgender rights, came amid
widespread demonstrations, some protesting violence aimed at transgender people of color.”
(Adam Liptak, “Civil Rights Law Protects Gay and Transgender Workers, Supreme Court Rules,” The New York
Times, 6/15/20)
Vance Complained Bitterly On Twitter That “The Conservative Legal Movement Has
Accomplished Two Things: Libertarian Political Economy (Enforced By Judges) And
Betrayal Of Social Conservatives And Traditionalists.” “A New York Times bestselling
author lashed out at the ‘conservative legal movement’ after the Supreme Court ruled that gay
and transgender employees should be protected from job discrimination. J.D. Vance, whose 2016
memoir Hillbilly Elegy provided a look at poor and white working-class people in Appalachia,
criticized the ruling on Monday. ‘The conservative legal movement has accomplished two
things: libertarian political economy (enforced by judges) and betrayal of social conservatives
and traditionalists,’ Vance tweeted.” (Spencer Neale, “J.D. Vance Blasts 'Conservative Legal Movement'
After Supreme Court Rules For Gay And Transgender Rights In Workplace,” Washington Examiner, 6/15/20)
Vance: “The Next (And Perhaps Most Important) Step Is For Social Conservatives To
Realize That Donor Economics Is Not Merely Incidental. It Flows From, And Reinforces,
Principles That Degrade Family, Community, Industrial Bases, And Nations.” (Spencer Neale,
“J.D. Vance Blasts 'Conservative Legal Movement' After Supreme Court Rules For Gay And Transgender Rights In
Workplace,” Washington Examiner, 6/15/20)
VANCE HAS TAKEN A SERIES OF CONTROVERSIAL POSITIONS

CONCERNING RACE RELATIONS
Vance Claimed The Protests Against Police Violence Following The Death Of George
Floyd Were Distractions From More Important Economic Issues
In 2020, Vance Complained That The Protests Which Erupted Following The Death Of
George Floyd Were Distracting From Important Economic Issues And Benefiting Large
Corporations Like Amazon. CARLSON: “JD Vance is the author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ He joins
us tonight. JD, I can't imagine that one in a thousand Americans seeks to divide the population
by race. It's the cruelest and longest lasting sin you could commit, I think in a country and yet
clearly there are people who are intentionally trying to do that. Why?” JD VANCE, AUTHOR:
“Well, I think that you have to ask yourself who benefits from a lot of this tension and a lot of
this division. If you think about a business, black owned or white owned that was destroyed in a
riot over the last few weeks, who gets richer from that? We know that Amazon has a little bit
more market share. And so Jeff Bezos makes a little bit more money. If you think about what
prevents new businesses from coming online and competing with those mega corporations that
rule our financial world, well, every time a small business gets denied for a loan, every time a
small business goes out of business, that's obviously good for the folks who run our corporate
culture. And at the end of the day, what are we not talking about right now that we should be
talking about? We're not talking about the opioid epidemic, which kills 70,000 people still in this
country. We're not talking about concentrated financial power, which is the biggest problem that
white and black middle class Americans face today.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 6/18/20)
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Vance: “At The End Of The Day, What We're Doing Is Creating An Entire Narrative
That's Dividing The Country Instead Of Actually Causing Middle And Working Class
People To Unify And To Try To Convince Through Political Means Others To Share
Power With Them.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 6/18/20)
Vance Has Been Accused Of Echoing White Supremacists With His Worries About
America’s Low Fertility Rate
Vance Was Criticized In 2020 After He Tweeted That He Was A “Nationalist Who Worries
About America’s Low Fertility.” “J.D. Vance, the author of the best-selling Rust Belt memoir
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ and the whisperer of the white working-class, is 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 in a
Sunday evening tweet. Vance later characterized his tweet as a joke, though he did not clarify its
meaning. He also neither explained his use of the word ‘nationalist,’ which over the last few
years has been widely associated with white nationalism, nor his curious claims about fertility.”
(Roger Sollenberger, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Faces Backlash Over Remarks Connecting Nationalism To Fertility
Rate,” Salon, 11/3/20)
Vance Was Accused Of Echoing The Rhetoric Of White Supremacists, Including The New
Zealand Mosque Shooter, Who Have Publicly Bemoaned Declining Fertility Rates Among
White Women. “But 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.
People quickly pointed out that Vance's phrasing echoed the ideology of white supremacists,
who have worried for years about declining white birth rates in Western countries. For instance,
the white supremacist who carried out a mass shooting at a New Zealand mosque in 2018
repeated the phrase ‘it's about the birth rates’ several times in his manifesto.” (Roger Sollenberger,
“‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Faces Backlash Over Remarks Connecting Nationalism To Fertility Rate,” Salon, 11/3/20)
Vance Maintained That The Tweet Was An Attempt At A Joke And Called His Critics
“Mediocrities.” “Vance's social media persona reflects more of the pugilism of his self-professed
hillbilly roots. When he tweeted recently that ‘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,’ a Princeton historian compared Vance's language to a 1920 white
supremacist book that warned white people were being engulfed by more fertile people of other
races, and a Duke gender studies professor deemed the tweet ‘creepy.’ Vance, who said the tweet
was an attempt at a joke, replied, ‘Good to know what's en Vogue among our academic
mediocrities.’” (Rebecca Keegan, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’: Caught Between Hollywood and a Hard Place,” Hollywood
Reporter, 11/23/20)
In 2019, An Op-Ed In The Washington Post Accused Vance Aligning With White Nationalists
After He Said In A Speech That “Our People Aren’t Having Enough Children To Replace
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Themselves. That Should Bother Us.” “As border controls tighten, though, the links between
pronatalism and nativism have once again become visible. Inspired by Steve King’s admiring
remark about Geert Wilders, Ayla Stewart, creator of a popular white nationalist blog called Wife
with a Purpose, issued a ‘white baby challenge’ that went viral in alt-right circles; the mother of
six asked audience members ‘to have as many white babies as I have contributed.’ Meanwhile, as
replacement discourse enters the conservative mainstream, talk of birthrates comes along with it.
‘Our people aren’t having enough children to replace themselves. That should bother us,’ J.D.
Vance, author of the best-selling ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ told his audience at the National Conservatism
Conference last month; earlier this year, he described himself as ‘appalled’ by Democrats’
permissive attitudes toward abortion. Vance did not spell out exactly who was included in the
word ‘our.’ He didn’t need to.” (Marissa Brostoff, Op-Ed, “How White Nationalists Aligned Themselves With
The Antiabortion Movement,” Washington Post, 8/27/19)
The Post Later Attached An Editor’s Note Stating That Vance Had Been Talking About
National Birthrates Rather Than Specifically The White Birthrate, And Ultimately
Retracted The Op-Ed. “The Washington Post on Tuesday retracted an op-ed writer’s distorted
attempt to link conservative author J.D. Vance to white nationalism. Left-wing writer Marissa
Brostoff penned an op-ed for the Post accusing the mainstream pro-life movement of aligning
with white nationalists…Vance made clear in his speech that he was talking about national
birthrates, not just among white people: ‘There are a lot of ways to measure a healthy society, but
the most important way to measure a healthy society is by whether a nation is having enough
children to replace itself.’ The post added an editor’s note after a backlash: ‘An earlier version of
this story suggested that the author J.D. Vance lamented a falloff in white births; he was actually
talking about American births.’” (Peter Hasson, “Washington Post Publishes, Retracts Attempt To Link
Conservative Author To White Nationalism,” Daily Caller, 8/28/19)
A Separate Washington Post Op-Ed Attacked Vance For Alleged Comments

Supporting Benefits To “Our People”
In A 2019 Op-Ed By John Huntington And David Austin Walsh, The Authors Wrote That
Vance Called For, At A Conference Of “National Conservatives,” Aggressive Federal
Action To Benefit “Our People.” “This attempt to cement Republicans in power might seem
like pure partisanship. But it’s also reflective of a belief that white conservatives alone are
entitled to the reins and benefits of governance. At a recent conference of ‘national
conservatives,’ there were calls for the aggressive use of federal power to benefit, as author J.D.
Vance put it, ‘our people.’” (John S. Huntington and David Austin Walsh, “Why Conservatives Such As
Trump Actually Like Government Spending,” The Washington Post, 8/13/19)
VANCE HAS A TAKEN A SERIES OF OTHER CONTROVERSIAL

POSITIONS ON VARIOUS CULTURE WAR TOPICS
Vance Criticized Prince Harry And Meghan Markle For “Complaining” Instead Of
Having “Gratitude” For Their Privilege
In 2021, Vance Blasted Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Oprah Interview, Saying It
Was “Vile” That People Of “Incredible Privilege” Were Complaining About Being
Victimized. “J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGY’: Well, I think what’s going on is,
this is fundamentally about power. As you said, in your monologue, Tucker, if you’re a victim,
then you are owed things instead of being owed – instead of owing your society things in return.
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I find this just really vile because if you think about the purpose of a ruling class, it’s
fundamentally to govern the country effectively on the one hand and pass on traditions and
character and values on the other hand. And you have people who have this incredible privilege.
You have two people in this interview, one from the United States and one from the United
Kingdom, both of whom have been given an incredible amount by the societies that they live in.
Are they grateful for it? Are they appreciative about it? Do they feel any obligation to enhance
and build the society they come from? No, they just feel like destroying it rhetorically, in terms
of its values. No sense that they owe something to the country and to the people who occupy it,
and that’s just a terrible attitude to have if you’re governing a country.” (Fox News’, “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 3/9/21)
• Vance: “Do They Feel Any Obligation To Enhance And Build The Society They
Come From? No, They Just Feel Like Destroying It Rhetorically, In Terms Of Its
Values.” (Fox News’, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 3/9/21)
• Vance: “You Think Of How Many Kids Who Were Watching That Interview, And
If You Come, Whether From Privilege Or From Tough Circumstances, Think
About The Values We Want Children To Have – Resilience, Character, Hard
Work, Gratitude – None Of That Was On Display In That Interview.” (Fox News’,
• Vance: “And Unfortunately, It’s An Attitude That Is All Too Common Among Our
Ruling Class, Which Just Means That Our Kids Instead Of Being Taught Virtue
And Character From Our Leaders, Are Just Being Taught How To Complain All
The Time.” (Fox News’, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 3/9/21)
Vance Said Trump’s Fight With The NFL Over Kneeling Was A Political Win For
Trump
In 2017, Vance Said Trump’s Fight With The NFL Over Kneeling Was A Political Win For
Trump. CUOMO: “All right, there is little doubt that President Trump is fanning the flames of
culture war with what he's doing with the NFL players. In a series of new tweets this morning,
he's still ripping the NFL's ratings, the Cowboys show of unity, and then saying progress isn't
being made, judging by his tweets, because of the great anger that he's helped to stoke. The
controversial is actually working in the president's favor with his base. That's the proposition. Is
that true? Let's get ‘The Bottom Line’ from CNN contributor J.D. Vance. He's the author of
‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ How do you see it, friend?” J.D. VANCE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Well,
look, I'm reminded on something that Steve Bannon said a few weeks ago I think on Charlie
Rose where he basically said, look, if the battle is over identity politics at a fundamental level the
president wins. And I think that as a political matter -- we can talk about the substance later --
but as a political matter, I do think that this is ultimately working in President Trump's favor.
You know, the way I always try to think about this is, you have the -- the really hard core
resistance folks on one side and you have the really hard core Trump base on the other side. How
does this appear to the folks in the middle, maybe to the folks who feel some cultural affinity for
the president or for his voters but are a little on the fence for the president, even if they voted for
him. And to a person, everyone that I've spoken to supports the president. And I'm talking about
those folks in the middle. So I think this is a big political win for him.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 9/26/17)
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VANCE HAS TIES TO VARIOUS CONTROVERSIAL FIGURES

Steve Bannon Once Called For Vance To Become Head Of The Heritage Foundation
In 2017, Vance Met With Stephen Bannon, Who Expressed To Others That He Favored
Vance Becoming The Head Of The Heritage Foundation. “J.D. Vance, the best-selling author
of ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ a memoir about his upbringing in Appalachia, was also floated early in the
process as a possible highprofile, younger recruit. He has met in recent months with Stephen K.
Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist who has returned to his post running Breitbart News,
and Bannon has privately expressed a desire to see an ally installed at Heritage.” (Robert Costa,
Ashley Parker, And John Wagner, “Heritage Foundation Considers Top White House Aide, Cubs Co-Owner As
Next Leader,” The Washington Post, 10/17/17)
Vance Appears To Have Ties To Alex Jones

In 2021, Vance Conducted An Interview With Lawyer Robert Barnes. (Viva Frei YouTube Channel,
4/21/21)
In 2019, Barnes Defended Alex Jones In Jones’s Lawsuit Filed By The Parents Of Sandy
Hook Victims Over Accusations By Jones That The School Shooting Was A Hoax. “Robert
Barnes, a highprofile Los Angeles lawyer who has embraced Alex Jones’ view that the lawsuits
against him from Sandy Hook parents are part of a conspiracy to silence Jones and undermine
President Donald Trump, has taken command of the Austin broadcaster’s legal defense against
those suits in Texas and Connecticut. Barnes sat silent during a Thursday hearing in an Austin
courtroom at which state District Judge Scott Jenkins ruled that a four-hour deposition of Jones
should proceed next Thursday, and indicated that he would craft an order for a belated
production of documents by Jones’ lawyers to the plaintiffs that would not violate the essential
journalistic right to protect confidential sources. Barnes, new on the case, doesn’t yet have the
legal OK to appear in court in Austin, and Thursday’s arguments were left to Mark Enoch, the
Dallas attorney who has been handling the Sandy Hook cases in Texas until now. … At issue is
whether Jones defamed and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on the parents of children
who were killed in the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., with his years of commentary
suggesting the event was a hoax designed to drum up opposition to gun rights.” (Jonathan Tilove, “Alex
Jones Ratchets Up His Sandy Hook Defense,” Austin American-Statesman, 3/7/19)
VANCE’S ADDITIONAL PERSONAL AND POLITICAL

FOIBLES
VANCE’S ‘OUR OHIO RENEWAL’ HAS BEEN HEAVILY SCRUTINIZED
BY CRITICS
Vance Founded Our Ohio Renewal – A Non-Profit With The Goal Of Combatting The
Opioid Epidemic And Improving Opportunity In Ohio
In Late 2016, Vance Said He Would Move To Ohio And Start A Non-Profit Called “Our
Ohio Renewal.” “Vance plans to travel around the state to better understand the issues facing
poor Ohioans. ‘I'm trying to approach this with humility,’ said Vance, who's formed a nonprofit
called Our Ohio Renewal with Jai Chabria, a former top advisor for Gov. John Kasich. ‘These
are problems that people who are pretty smart have been trying to work on for a while. I'm at the
166
stage of trying to understand what it is they've done, and where they've seen opportunities to
make things better.’ He said he's not interested in running for public office in Ohio in the near
term, but that could be an option many years down the road. ‘Never say never,’ he said.” (Dave
Ghose, “J.D. Vance will move to Columbus,” Columbus Monthly, 1/17)
Vance Said The Nonprofit Would Focus On Opioids And Other Issues Important To Him.
JD VANCE: “(Laughter) Well, first of all, I've always wanted to go back to Ohio ever since I left
when I was 18 or 19 to join the military. So it's always been this thing in the back of my mind.
And the success of the book has given me the flexibility, but also I think the platform to talk
about some of the issues that are most important to me. And so what I'm going to do is start a
small nonprofit that's going to focus on a couple of issues that are a special concern to me and I
think will be pretty familiar to those who've read the book.” AILSA CHANG: “I know that
opioid addiction is one of the major issues you'll be focusing on, right?” J D VANCE: “Yeah,
that's absolutely right. It's actually pretty astonishing, but Ohio apparently led the nation in drug
overdose deaths last year. And that's obviously a pretty significant cause for concern. So it's a
real significant concern among the demographic I wrote about in the book. It's obviously very
personally important to me and it's something my family has struggled with and dealt with. And
I felt, you know, frankly a little bit of responsibility now that I've been given this platform by the
success of the book to go and try to do at least a little something to help out.” (NPR’s “Weekend
Edition,” 12/25/16)
After Moving To Ohio, Vance Said That The Purpose Of Our Ohio Renewal Would Be
To “Combat Ohio’s Opioid Epidemic.” “But there were practical reasons to move: I’m
founding an organization to combat Ohio’s opioid epidemic. We chose Columbus because I
travel a lot, and I need to be centrally located in the state and close to an airport. And the truth
is that not every motivation is rational: Part of me loves Ohio simply because it’s home.” (JD
Vance, Op-Ed, “Why I’m Moving Home,” The New York Times, 3/16/17)
Vance Said He Wanted To Start A Nonprofit Dedicated To Education Issues. “The 32-
year-old plans to bring his insights home to Ohio to create an education-oriented, nonprofit
organization. ‘I'm looking for opportunities to contribute and get some traction on the issues I
talk about in the book and the issues I care about,’ he said in an interview. ‘I went to Ohio State
and really love central Ohio.’” (Alan Johnson, “Voters Went After Change, Author Says,” The Columbus
Dispatch, 11/13/16)
Vance Said He Wanted To Focus On Promoting Vocational Education. “Ohio native J.D.
Vance had an unexpected hit this year when he captured the election-season zeitgeist with his
book Hillbilly Elegy. Now The Washington Post reports the 32-year-old author is looking to
capitalize on his newfound fame and make a difference by returning to Ohio to advocate for
changes, including potentially running for political office. ‘The book has given me a platform I
frankly didn't expect to have,’ he told the paper. ‘The plan is to go all-in on Ohio. One of the
things that concerns me is that so few people who go and get an education elsewhere ... feel any
real ... pull for returning home.’ Vance, now working for an investment fund in California, said
his initial focus will be helping battle the opioid crisis and promoting vocational education. ‘At
this stage, the thing I want to do the most is to go around the state and learn about what's
actually going on,’ he said. ‘I'm not one of these people who thinks I know all the answers. The
first thing I want to get a sense of is what's actually been tried on the ground already.’” (Doug
Buchanan, “Morning Roundup: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author Returning To Help Ohio,” Columbus Business First,
12/22/16)
167
Vance Also Said He Wanted To Target Upward Mobility Opportunities For Families In
The Lower End Of The Economy. “Vance, who has been working with public relations
strategist Jai Chabria, who was a longtime adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, is forming a
nonprofit called Our Ohio Renewal and will relocate with his wife from San Francisco to either
Cincinnati or Columbus, where he earned his undergraduate degree at Ohio State University. He
has spoken at Ohio State and Miami University, near Middletown, in recent weeks and has other
speaking engagements lined up that he said will help him learn more as he plans an effort that's'
‘very, very early’ in development. Among the issues he wants to target are the needs for more
upward mobility opportunities for families in the lower end of the economy, what he calls
rebuilding ‘the broken pipeline to the middle class,’ and the opioid epidemic that has hit his
home state particularly hard.” (Dan Sewell, “Best-Selling Author Returning To Ohio To Try To Help,” The
Associated Press, 12/24/16)
In 2017, Vance Said The Nonprofit Would First Focus On “Kinship Care.” “You recently
announced plans to create a nonprofit, Our Ohio Renewal. What will the organization’s mission
be, and how do you hope to achieve it? I decided to use the platform the book has given me to
create an issues and advocacy organization. The idea for Our Ohio Renewal began with
conversations I had with friends who said, “What would it look like if the people you are
writing about in the book had their own lobbying firm? What would it look like if there was an
organization dedicated to addressing their problems?” The first issue we’re going to tackle is
the issue of kinship care in Ohio. Folks who know the opioid crisis know it’s actually made a
lot of kids homeless and created a lot of burdens for grandparents and aunts and uncles who
find themselves taking care of children they didn’t expect to take care of. These people need
financial resources, as well as a legal system that’s more responsive to their concerns.” (Linda
Feagler, “Q&A: ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author J.D. Vance,” Ohio Magazine, September 2017)
Vance Said He Thought “Running A Small Nonprofit To Work On The Opioid Crisis And
Bring Interesting New Businesses To The So-Called Rust Belt — All Of These Things Are
Valuable, If Not More Valuable, Than Running For Office.” “To which Vance responds:
‘I’m not going to say that I’m never going to run. I’m certainly interested in public service over
the long term. But it sort of bothers me, the presumption at the age of 32, that if someone is
saying interesting things, and has interesting insights, why isn’t he running for office.’ He thinks
there are other ways to contribute. ‘I think running a small nonprofit to work on the opioid crisis
and bring interesting new businesses to the so-called Rust Belt — all of these things are valuable,
if not more valuable, than running for office.’” (Karen Heller, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Made J.D. Vance The
Voice Of The Rust Belt. But Does He Want That Job?,” The Washington Post, 2/6/17)
Vance Characterized Our Ohio Renewal’s Goal As Transitioning “From Talking About
Problems To Solutions.” “Mr. Vance said in a recent interview with The Blade that he is
organizing a group called Our Ohio Renewal to tackle Ohio problems such as heroin addiction
and family breakdown. The goal, he said: ‘to transition from talking about problems to
solutions.’ Mr. Vance's memoir about his life in rural Ohio and eastern Kentucky provided
insight into wealthy New York businessman Donald Trump's appeal to the struggling white
working class. ‘We're still identifying the things that we want to work on,’ Mr. Vance said. ‘We
have some money. The book gives me access to a lot of folks who are interested in
philanthropy.’” (Tom Troy, “Monday's GOP Lincoln Day Dinner Features Candidates,” The Blade, 4/22/17)
In 2017, Vance Said The Nonprofit “Will Make Some Headway In Addressing The Opioid
Crisis Which Affects A Lot Of The Problems I Talk About, Is Driven By A Lot Of The
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Problems I Talk About.” “The other thing I started is a nonprofit organization called 'Our Ohio
Renewal.' You can go and follow it online, [ourohiorenewal.com/]. The basic thesis of that is
we've got to solve some of these problems locally, at the state and local level. Hopefully that
nonprofit organization will make some headway in addressing the opioid crisis which affects a
lot of the problems I talk about, is driven by a lot of the problems I talk about. I think if we don't
figure out this particular drug epidemic, then it's going to be really tough to restabilize some of
these families and some of these kids.” (“'Hillbilly Elegy' Author Outlines Ways To Increase Opportunity,”
Western Free Press, 7/21/17)
Our Ohio Renewal Was Also Said To Be “Dedicated To Helping Disadvantaged Youth
Through Public-Private Partnerships.” “Vance, a venture capitalist by profession, earned his
bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and his law degree from Yale University. He is the
founder of Our Ohio Renewal, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged
youth through public-private partnerships.” (“Author J.D. Vance Urges Bridging Gaps At MTSU
Convocation,” Daily News Journal, 8/28/17)
Vance Extolled Our Ohio Renewal’s Mission In A 2017 Profile, Saying He Hoped It Would
Be Able To Cut Through Partisanship. “Vance hopes that his work at Our Ohio Renewal can
cut through partisanship. He worried that hiring political strategist Jai Chabria, who was known
as Kasich's top adviser for two decades, would color the project in the eyes of the public. ‘My
concern with Jai was, 'Oh, Republican, John Kasich adviser, immediately you're tagged as a
Republican and half the country hates you.’ But he says that hasn't been his experience. ‘If
anything, I feel a little bit more confident that Americans are pretty insightful and pretty nuanced
in how they think about these issues,’ he says. Bringing some political balance to the leadership
of Our Ohio Renewal is Vance's law school friend Jamil Jivani. A biracial Canadian citizen who
grew up in a poor immigrant neighborhood in Toronto and identifies as a progressive, Jivani
worked as a community organizer after law school.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: 'Hillbilly Elegy'
Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/17)
In 2019, Vance Maintained That Our Ohio Renewal Was Still Operational – Despite
Its Website Being Offline – And Said It Was Sponsoring A Residency For A
Researcher In Southern Ohio
In 2019, Vance Maintained That Our Ohio Renewal Was Still Operational – Despite Its
Website Being Offline – And Said It Was Sponsoring A Residency For A Researcher In
Southern Ohio. “What about the organization Vance founded to help fight the opioid epidemic?
Our Ohio Renewal's website is currently offline ("It's just not my instinct to care about the
website," he explained), but Vance said the group is still focused on its mission of conducting
and promoting research into innovative ways of combating the epidemic and its fallout. The
group is sponsoring a yearlong residency in southern Ohio for Sally Satel, a psychiatrist and
research fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, with the Ironton-Lawrence
Community Action Agency, which has service locations along the Ohio River near Portsmouth.
Satel is working with the agency's behavioral health team, providing counseling and conducting
research.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “J.D. Vance Moves to Cincinnati,” Columbus Monthly, 2/19)
Our Ohio Renewal’s Website Said The Group Would “Lead On Solutions To Opioid
Abuse So We Can Take Our Communities Back.” “The opioid crisis is harming communities
across the country. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports nearly 2 million
Americans were addicted to or abused prescription opiate-based painkillers as of 2013. Ohio
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continues to be the face of the nation’s opioid abuse problem. According to Ohio’s Opiate
Action Team, more than 2,400 Ohioans tragically passed from unintentional opiate overdoses in
2014, which marked a 17% increase from a year earlier. Much of this increase in overdoses can
be attributed to a major increase in abuse of fentanyl, a more lethal opiate than heroin. More
money has been spent on treatment programs and our leaders have begun to take the issue
seriously, yet we are losing too many of our friends and family to this epidemic. Our Ohio
Renewal will lead on solutions to opioid abuse so we can take our communities back.” (Our Ohio
Renewal Website, Archived 8/5/18)
Our Ohio Renewal’s Website Said The Group Would “Work With Local Agencies And
Institutions To Identify And Scale Workable Solutions To The Problems Of Family
Breakdown.” “Research has consistently shown that domestic instability is a core driver of
persistent poverty and low upward mobility. Domestic instability also make youth more
vulnerable to teen pregnancy, crime, and dropping out of high school. More and more families
are at risk of family breakdown because fewer and fewer Americans are getting married and
raising children in two-parent households. The National Surveys of Family Growth reveal that
among middle class Americans alone, 44% more children were born out of wedlock in 2008
compared to just 13% in 1982. While recognizing that no easy answers exist, Our Ohio
Renewal will work with local agencies and institutions to identify and scale workable solutions
to the problems of family breakdown.” (Our Ohio Renewal Website, Archived 8/3/18)
Our Ohio Renewal’s Website Called For Educational Reform To Prepare “People With
And Without College Degrees For Success In The Work Force.” “We need to create more
pathways to the middle class. We can start with reforms to our education system. The cost of a
college education is increasing today, but a college degree doesn’t guarantee the kind of
economic success it once did. Still, a college degree is important to economic mobility and to
keeping families in the middle class. Research from the Pew Project on Economic Mobility
shows that children born to middle class families significantly risk falling out of the middle class
if they don’t earn a college degree. Education reform must address these changing realities by
preparing people with and without college degrees for success in the work force. Vocational
education and collaborative efforts between business leaders, communities, and educators can
ensure that more people have more avenues to dignified work and the stability it brings. Today,
too many high school graduates are faced with a stark choice: go to college and find some way to
pay for its rising costs; or, find a service-sector job making barely enough to survive on. We can
and must do better.” (Our Ohio Renewal Website, Archived 8/3/18)
In 2018, Vance Said That Our Ohio Renewal Was Sponsoring Sally Satel – An Expert In
Addiction Treatment – To Move To Southeastern Ohio For Six Months To A Year To
Treat Patients And Conduct Research On Better Treatment Methods. BV: “How are things
going with Our Ohio Renewal (the nonprofit Vance started to work on the drug addiction
challenge)?” Vance: “What I’m most excited about is we’re sponsoring an expert in addiction
treatment who is going to move to southeastern Ohio for between six months and a year. One,
she is going to treat a lot of patients. There are not enough doctors to provide treatment. But she
is also going to study the issue while she is there, figuring out some better treatment methods
that can be used in other places and scaled nationally. Her name is Sally Satel. I’d love for her to
come out of this with some insights on how we can treat this problem on a national scale. It’s
important that we treat people day to day, but that’s one person and that’s not going to solve the
whole problem.” (Thom Schuman, “Words Of Wisdom,” BizVoice, 09/18)
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Despite Its Stated Goals, Our Ohio Renewal Spent More Than 95 Percent Of Its 2017
Fundraising
On Staff Salaries And Overhead, And $0 On Charitable Activities Or Grants
According To Our Ohio Renewal’s 2017 Federal Income Tax Return, The Group Raised
$221,135 In Contributions And Grants. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• 96.4 Percent Of Our Ohio Renewal’s Fundraising Was Devoted To Staff Salaries
And Overhead. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• Our Ohio Renewal Spent $77,430.96 – 35 Percent Of Its Total Fundraising – On
Staff Salaries. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• Our Ohio Renewal Spent $66,084 – 29.8 Percent Of Its Total Fundraising – On
Management, Legal, And Accounting Fees. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• Our Ohio Renewal Spent $45,000 – 20.3 Percent Of Its Total Fundraising – On A
Survey. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• Our Ohio Renewal Spent $11,031 On Advertising And Promotion. (Our Ohio Renewal
2017 IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
• Our Ohio Renewal Spent $5,078 On Travel And Conferences. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017
IRS Form 990, 5/14/18)
Our Ohio Renewal Spent $0 On Charitable Grants Or Activities. (Our Ohio Renewal 2017 IRS
Form 990, 5/14/18)
Our Ohio Renewal Appears To Have Been Largely Defunct Since 2017
Our Ohio Renewal Filed Form 990-N Returns For 2018 And 2019. (IRS 990 Search, Accessed
3/26/21)
Our Ohio Renewal Has A Sister Organization Which Has Never Raised More Than
$50,000 In A Year
The Our Ohio Renewal Foundation Has Filed Form 990-N Returns For 2018 And 2019.
(IRS 990 Search, Accessed 3/26/21)
• Tax Exempt Organizations With Less Than $50,000 In Annual Revenues Are
Eligible To File A Form 990-N. (“Small tax-exempt organizations generally are eligible
to file Form 990-N to satisfy their annual reporting requirement, if their annual gross
receipts are normally $50,000 or less.” (IRS Website, Accessed 3/26/21)
Our Ohio Renewal Was Run By Both A Longtime Republican And A Friend Of Vance
Who Is Progressive
In 2017, Vance Said He Was Concerned With Bringing Jai Chabria Into Our Ohio Revival
Because It Would Be “Tagged” As Republican With “Half The Country” Against It.
“Vance hopes that his work at Our Ohio Renewal can cut through partisanship. He worried that
hiring political strategist Jai Chabria, who was known as Kasich's top adviser for two decades,
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would color the project in the eyes of the public. ‘My concern with Jai was, 'Oh, Republican,
John Kasich adviser, immediately you're tagged as a Republican and half the country hates you.’
But he says that hasn't been his experience. ‘If anything, I feel a little bit more confident that
Americans are pretty insightful and pretty nuanced in how they think about these issues,’ he
says.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/2017)
Our Ohio Renewal’s Leadership Also Included Vance’s Law School Friend, Jamil
Jivana—Who Shared Vance’s German Village Home And Was A Biracial Canadian
Citizen And A Progressive. “Bringing some political balance to the leadership of Our Ohio
Renewal is Vance's law school friend Jamil Jivani. A biracial Canadian citizen who grew up in a
poor immigrant neighborhood in Toronto and identifies as a progressive, Jivani worked as a
community organizer after law school. He founded a Toronto organization that teaches young
black men strategies for interacting with police. He's written a book, due out next year, exploring
the forces that cause young men to join extremist groups. On leave from a Toronto law school
teaching job, Jivani currently shares Vance's German Village home.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile:
'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/2017)
VANCE’S TIME WORKING WITH ‘REVOLUTION LLC’ CREATES A

SERIES OF NOTABLE VULNERABILITIES WITH AMERICA-FIRST
CONSERVATIVES
Vance Worked At Revolution LLC, A Firm Founded By Steve Case, The Founder Of
AOL
Vance Worked For Revolution LLC, A Firm Founded By Steve Case, The Co-Founder Of
America Online. “Columbus needs to be more eager to tout itself as a business destination, even
if that feels weird for humble Midwesterners. That's according to organizers of Rise of the Rest,
an initiative that visited Columbus on Friday to listen to business pitches and encourage
investment in companies that aren't on the East or West coasts. ‘(Columbus is) clearly on the
rise, clearly collaborative and recognizing that startups play a crucial role in job creation and
economic growth,’ said Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online who now leads
Revolution LLC, the investment firm that sponsors Rise of the Rest. … He was joined by J.D.
Vance, the venture capitalist and ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author who now lives in Columbus and is
working with Revolution, among other ventures. ‘Some folks (in Columbus) are admirably
humble, but sometimes you've got to be willing to tell your story,’ Vance said. Case and Vance
went through a packed schedule on Friday, meeting with local leaders, taking tours of offices
that help start-up businesses, and listening to pitches from relatively new companies.” (Dan
Gearino, “Rise Of The Rest,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/14/17)
Case Hired Vance As A Partner In April 2017 After Reading His Book And Was
Impressed That Vance Wanted To Move Back To Ohio. “America Online co-founder Steve
Case's main criticism of the best-selling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ led him to hire its author, J.D.
Vance, to his venture capital firm Revolution LLC. Vance's harrowing account of his upbringing
in poverty in Middletown ends with a cultural critique of the working poor - but Case was
among those noting the book poses no solution. ‘It kind of left me hanging,’ Case said in a
panel discussion that included Vance during Friday's Columbus stop on their Rise of the Rest
bus tour of middle-America cities often neglected by VC. (See related stories on the tour and
172
pitch competition.) So they talked, and Case was impressed that Vance planned to move back to
Ohio from Silicon Valley and start a nonprofit dedicated to the opioid crisis. He chose Columbus
to be close to policymakers. ‘He wanted to roll up his sleeves and be part of the solution,’ Case
said. Vance joined Revolution as a partner in April, largely devoted to Rise of the Rest. He also
remains a partner at San Francisco-based Mithril Capital Management.” (Carrie Ghose, “AOL Co-
Founder Steve Case Says J.D. Vance Memoir 'Left Me Hanging' - Here's What Happened Next,” Columbus
Business First, 10/16/17)
Steve Case Was A Vocal Supporter Of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Campaign

Shortly Before Hiring Vance, Case Endorsed Hillary Clinton In A Washington Post Op-Ed.
“So my inclination is to continue to stay out of politics and continue to quietly build working
relationships with both Republicans and Democrats. I’d prefer to be positioned as a builder of
bridges and consensus. But I’ve decided to make an exception this election. I have concluded
that I cannot sit on the sidelines this year. At this pivotal time, the choice is too important. I’ve
decided to back Hillary Clinton for president for four reasons.” (Steve Case, Op-Ed, “Why I’m Voting
For Hillary Clinton,” The Washington Post, 9/28/16)
Case Said Trump’s Campaign Was “Backward-Looking On The Economy And Oddly
Absent Of Ideas To Spur Creation Of The Jobs Of The Future.” “First, I think she’d be
better for our economy, especially with respect to innovative technology and start-ups. Donald
Trump knows business, but his campaign has been backward-looking on the economy and
oddly absent of ideas to spur creation of the jobs of the future. Clinton understands what we
need to help start businesses and will invest in education, advanced manufacturing and basic
research. She’s not promising a return to a bygone era — she’s focused on making our economy
strong for our children and their children. These forward-leaning policies are essential to ensure
continued U.S. economic leadership.” (Steve Case, Op-Ed, “Why I’m Voting For Hillary Clinton,” The
Revolution Backed A Company Invested In By Former Democratic Presidential

Candidate John Delaney
In 2020, Revolution Invested In A Blank-Check Company Backed By Former Democrat
Congressman And Presidential Candidate John Delaney (D-MD) “A blank-check company
backed by Revolution LLC CEO Steve Case and a former presidential candidate is aiming to
raise up to $287.5 million in a public offering to invest in an innovative technology company,
according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing. The offering includes $250
million in shares and another $37.5 million if underwriters exercise their ability to purchase
additional equity in the company, which would become a publicly traded entity with no products
or services but would use that cash to purchase or merge with a private company - in effect
taking the other company public and bypassing the traditional IPO process. The blank-check
company, also sometimes referred to as a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, is
called Revolution Acceleration Acquisition Corp. and will be listed on the Nasdaq under the
ticker symbol ‘RAACU.’ Case, an AOL co-founder, is listed as one of the founders and a
director in the company. Case and company CEO John Delaney, the former Maryland
congressman, hold stakes in RAAC Management LLC, a partnership between entities set up by
Delaney and Case that owns about 8.1 million shares of the blank-check company - which would
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be about 24.3% after the public offering, according to the SEC filing. The filings lean heavily on
Case and Revolution's reach and experience in the venture capital and growth equity arenas,
suggesting a significant involvement in the company. They also highlight the success of
Revolution Growth, which raises large growth rounds for private companies. Case founded
Revolution Growth in 2011 alongside Ted Leonsis, now the controlling shareholder of
Monumental Sports & Entertainment.” (Andy Medici, “Revolution's Steve Case Backs New Blank-Check
Company Led By Former Md. Congressman,” Washington Business Journal, 11/23/20)
Vance Was A Co-Worker Of Ron Klain, President Joe Biden’s Chief Of Staff
Ron Klain, President Joe Biden’s Chief Of Staff, Worked At Revolution LLC As General
Counsel And Executive Vice President, With Departures To Serve As Biden’s Vice
Presidential Chief Of Staff in 2008 And As Obama’s Ebola Czar In 2014. “Ron Klain has
been asked by President-elect Biden to return to public service in a critically important role at a
critically important time in our nation’s history. Ron has been one of Joe Biden’s most trusted
advisors for more than three decades, and brings enormous experience and wisdom to the role.
Ron has been instrumental in building Revolution into a major venture capital investment firm.
He has served as General Counsel and Executive Vice President since the firm launched in 2005,
with notable departures to serve our country as Vice President Biden’s Chief of Staff in 2008 and
President Obama’s Ebola Czar in 2014. We applaud Ron’s decision to return again to public
service, and wish him all the best as he takes on this task. We are sorry to lose him, but we’re
more optimistic about getting through the pandemic and building back better knowing Ron will
bring his many talents to bear to support the President and serve the nation.” (Steve Case, “The
Appointment Of Ron Klain As White House Chief Of Staff,” Revolution LLC, 11/11/20)
Klain Helped Found Revolution In 2005. “Ron Klain, a longtime Democratic operative and
co-founder of D.C. venture capital firm Revolution LLC, was named President-elect Joe Biden's
chief of staff Wednesday evening. Klain has long worked with Biden before, serving as his chief
of staff from 2009 to 2011 when he was vice president. He was also chief counsel to the Senate
Judiciary Committee in the late 1980s and early '90s when Biden, then a senator representing
Delaware, chaired the body. Klain most recently served as an adviser to Biden's presidential
campaign and he was an adviser on Biden's previous bids for the White House. … Klain, a
lawyer by training, helped found Revolution in 2005 and has served as executive vice president
and general counsel. According to The New York Times, his agreement with Steve Case, the
chairman and CEO of Revolution and a co-founder of AOL, allowed Klain to take unpaid leave
in the fall every four years to participate in political campaigns.” (Drew Hansen, “Ron Klain, A Co-
Founder Of Steve Case's Revolution, Named Joe Biden's Chief Of Staff,” Washington Business Journal, 11/12/20)
Shortly After Vance Was Hired By Revolution, Case Came Out Against President
Trump’s Immigration Policies
In April 2017, Case Took Aim At President Trump’s Immigration Policies. “To say Steve
Case is well versed in launching a company is an understatement. The co-founder and former
CEO of New York-based America Online is currently at the helm of Revolution LLC, an
investment firm he co-founded, partnering with fellow entrepreneurs to build what he calls
‘built-to-last’ businesses. Today, Case is grabbing headlines for a different reason - taking aim at
President Donald Trump's policies. The AOL visionary told WTop.com that ‘if we continue to
push immigrants away - graduating top-notch innovators from our universities, but then forcing
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them to leave to create companies and jobs elsewhere - we'll lose our entrepreneurial edge.’”
(Anthony Noto, “AOL Co-Founder Steve Case Takes Aim At Trump's Immigration Policies,” New York Business
Journal, 4/24/17)
In July 2017, Case Criticized A Trump Administration Decision To Eliminate A Rule

Letting Foreign Entrepreneurs Come To The United States To Start Companies, Calling It
A “Big Mistake.” “The Trump administration said it would delay, and probably eliminate down
the line, a federal rule that would have let foreign entrepreneurs come to the United States to
start companies. The decision, announced by the federal government on Monday ahead of its
official publication on Tuesday, was quickly slammed by business leaders and organizations,
especially from the technology sector, which has benefited heavily from start-ups founded by
immigrants. … Steve Case, an investor who was a founder of AOL, blasted the decision on
Twitter. ‘Big mistake,’ he wrote. ‘Immigrant entrepreneurs are job makers, not job takers.’” (Nick
Wingfield, “In Blow To Tech Industry, Trump Shelves Start-Up Immigrant Rule,” The New York Times, 7/10/17)
While Vance Was Employed By Revolution, Case Met With Trump

In 2017, Case Was Part Of A Group Of CEOs Who Met With Trump To Discuss Emerging
Technologies. “President Donald Trump will meet with two dozen executives from technology
companies and venture capital firms on Thursday for advice on how the government can
promote emerging technologies such as drones and the Internet of things. Executives including
outgoing General Electric Co. chief executive Jeff Immelt, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson,
Sprint Corp CEO Marcelo Claure, and venture capitalist Steve Case, the billionaire co-founder of
AOL Inc., have been asked for suggestions on how the administration should spur private
innovation and set appropriate guidelines for new technologies. … Case, who now runs the
investment firm Revolution LLC, used his company website to defend his decision to engage
with Trump. ‘I know some people will question my decision to attend the gathering of investors
at the White House, but I have long advocated for leaders of any kind to engage if given the
opportunity,’ Case wrote Wednesday, highlighting his concerns with Trump's policies on
immigration and climate change. ‘I would argue that there is perhaps no more important time to
take a seat at the table.’” (Toluse Olorunnipa, “Trump To Meet With Tech Executives On Drones, Internet Of
Things,” Bloomberg, 6/22/17)
Revolution Backed DraftKings Which Operates Sports Gambling

In 2018, DraftKings, Which Received Funding From Revolution Growth, Announced It
Would Enter The Sports Betting Market. “Sports, gambling and entertainment businesses
across Greater Washington on Monday applauded the Supreme Court's decision to repeal a
federal ban on sports betting, saying the ruling could significantly boost revenue, increase
interest in sports and bring regulation to an industry that generates billions of dollars already,
often illegally. … Some companies, like fantasy sports platform DraftKings Inc., are already
capitalizing on the ruling. DraftKings, partially funded by D.C.-based venture capital firm
Revolution Growth, announced Monday the company will enter the sports betting market and is
now working with regulatory officials to apply for operating licenses in those states that have
already passed legislation.” (Katie Arcieri, “Legal Sports Betting Is Coming And D.C.'S Top Investors Are
All In,” Washington Business Journal, 5/14/18)
In 2020, Revolution Organized A Panel With DraftKings Executives To Discuss Betting

During The Pandemic. “The newly-public betting website DraftKings Inc. is delving deeper
into e-sports and other nontraditional sporting activities as the coronavirus-driven drought of live
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football and baseball events is putting financial pressure on its core betting business. The
Boston-based online gambling operator (Nasdaq: DKNG) recently acquired the rights to
livestream all the matches of Bundesliga - Germany's top soccer league - inside its sports betting
app, SportTechie reported. The move is meant to broaden the offering of sports content that
customers can engage with, at a time the National Football League and other national sports
leagues are on shutdown. On Friday, Robins and Leonsis participated in a panel organized by
Revolution, AOL co-founder Steve Case's investment firm in Washington, to discuss the
reopening of sports in a world of social distancing. There, Robins said that there's a lot of
opportunity to integrate the streaming, or the viewing experience, with the fantasy and gaming
experience. ‘The important thing is that people are able to watch the games ... We have
streaming integrated for ping pong, for table tennis. Those are not things people can turn on the
TV or easily find in other places to watch right now,’ Robins said. ‘Part of the fun of betting is to
be able to actually watch the action in full.’ Ted Leonsis, co-founder and partner at Revolution
Growth, an investor in DraftKings, said during the panel that the rollout of 5G will be critical to
people who want to do sports live betting.” (Lucia Maffei, “With No Pro Sports, Draftkings Bets On
Fantasy, Esports And Ping Pong,” Boston Business Journal, 5/26/20)
Steve Case Sold His Virginia Home To Saudi Arabia For $43 Million
In 2018, Steve Case Sold His McLean, Virginia Home To The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia
For $43 Million. “It’s been a big week on Chain Bridge Road. Steve and Jean Case’s McLean
estate has sold for a record-setting $43 million, about a year after the property hit the market for
$49.5 million — which, at the time, was the highest list price the region had evern seen. Now, it
grabs the title as the most expensive Greater Washington property to sell, at least since 2007 and
most likely ever. The Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the buyer, according to public
records.” (Sara Gilgore, “Steve Case’s Mclean Estate Sells For $43M — A New Record,” Washington Business
Journal, 6/7/18)
Case Was Part Of A Global Advisory Board For A Tourism Destination In Saudi
Arabia But Backed Out After The Killing Of Jamal Khashoggi
In September 2018, Case Was Announced As An Advisory Board Member For The Red
Sea Project, An Ultra-Luxury Tourism Destination That Is Part Of Saudi Arabia’s Vision
2030 And Owned By Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. “The Red Sea Project is part of
an ambitious plan to create an ultra-luxury tourism destination for nature, adventure, wellness,
and culture, as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. (Supplied) The Red Sea Development
Company, owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has announced the formation of its
‘global advisory board’ made of 12 international experts in business, tourism, sustainability and
environment. The advisory board will help set the agenda and plan for Saudi Arabia's Red Sea
Project, a vast tourist development aimed at opening the economy, off the kingdom's western
coast. The Red Sea Project is part of an ambitious plan to create an ultra-luxury tourism
destination for nature, adventure, wellness, and culture, as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. …
The members of the Advisory Board are: … -Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution – As
the CEO of Revolution, an investment firm dedicated to building ‘built to last’ businesses, Case
has established a legacy for creating some of the strongest businesses in history. He
revolutionized the Internet through AOL, and negotiated the largest merger in business history.
Case will work with The Red Sea Project's executive team to bring transformative business
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management to the project.” (“Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Development Co Announces Creation Of Global
Advisory Board,” Alarabiya, 9/17/18)
• Other Advisors To The Project Included Richard Branson And Philippe Cousteau,
Jr. “Saudi Arabia has tapped global business and conservation leaders to advise the
country on its improbable but ambitious plans to develop a luxury tourism destination in
one of the world's few remaining undiscovered and untouched marine wonderlands. The
Red Sea Project last week announced it had enlisted the experts to help with plans to
develop resorts and residences on 50 pristine islands in the Red Sea. Richard Branson,
who last year announced he would become the first private investor in the project, tops
the list, which also includes Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of Jacques Cousteau and
founder and president of EarthEcho International; Steve Case, who founded America
Online; Sven-Olof Lindblad, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions; Frits van Paasschen, former
CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and Six Senses founder Sonu Shivdasani.” (Jeri
Clausing, “Saudi Arabia Assembles Advisers For Red Sea Tourism Project,” Travel Weekly, 9/24/18)
• The Red Sea Development Company Is A Wholly Owned Entity Incorporated In

2018 By The Public Investment Fund Of Saudi Arabia. “The Red Sea Development
Co., a wholly owned entity incorporated earlier this year by the Public Investment Fund
of Saudi Arabia, said the advisory board will help set the Red Sea Project's agenda ‘to
develop and implement a new international standard in environmental protection and
restoration, sustainable development, innovation and luxury tourism.’” (Jeri Clausing, “Saudi
Arabia Assembles Advisers For Red Sea Tourism Project,” Travel Weekly, 9/24/18)
In October 2018, Case Distanced Himself From Saudi Arabia Over The Killing Of Saudi
Dissident Jamal Khashoggi. “Western business leaders, including Virgin Group founder
Richard Branson and tech investor Steve Case, on Thursday distanced themselves from Saudi
Arabia over the disappearance and alleged killing of Saudi dissident and Washington Post
columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Their statements are a setback for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Salman, who has portrayed himself as a reformer intent on modernizing Saudi society and
opening it to more foreign investment. The Turkish government has told U.S. officials it has
audio and video recordings proving Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul
this month.” (Jeanne Whalen, “Virgin’s Richard Branson, Tech Investor Steve Case Distance Themselves From
Saudi Arabia Over Alleged Khashoggi Killing,” The Washington Post, 10/11/18)
Case Said He Was Putting On Hold Plans To Attend A Conference In Riyadh That Month
And Participate In The Saudi Tourism Project. “Case said he was putting on hold plans to
attend a big investment conference in Riyadh later this month, and to participate in a Saudi
tourism project.” (Jeanne Whalen, “Virgin’s Richard Branson, Tech Investor Steve Case Distance Themselves
From Saudi Arabia Over Alleged Khashoggi Killing,” The Washington Post, 10/11/18)
VANCE WAS ALSO INVOLVED WITH STEVE CASE’S ‘RISE OF THE

REST’ FUND – ANOTHER CONTROVERSIAL ROLE
Vance Was Part Of Steve Case’s Rise Of The Rest – An Initiative Backed By Wealthy
Tech Investors
In 2017, Vance Was Part Of Steve Case’s Rise Of The Rest, An Initiative Aimed At Finding
Startups In The Midwest. “Columbus needs to be more eager to tout itself as a business
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destination, even if that feels weird for humble Midwesterners. That's according to organizers of
Rise of the Rest, an initiative that visited Columbus on Friday to listen to business pitches and
encourage investment in companies that aren't on the East or West coasts. ‘(Columbus is) clearly
on the rise, clearly collaborative and recognizing that start-ups play a crucial role in job creation
and economic growth,’ said Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online who now leads
Revolution LLC, the investment firm that sponsors Rise of the Rest. … He was joined by J.D.
Vance, the venture capitalist and "Hillbilly Elegy’ author who now lives in Columbus and is
working with Revolution, among other ventures. ‘Some folks (in Columbus) are admirably
humble, but sometimes you've got to be willing to tell your story,’ Vance said. Case and Vance
went through a packed schedule on Friday, meeting with local leaders, taking tours of offices
that help start-up businesses, and listening to pitches from relatively new companies.” (Dan
Gearino, “Rise Of The Rest,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/14/17)
The Columbus Stop Was Part Of A Tour That Included Green Bay And Indianapolis. “The
Columbus stop was the fourth day of a five-day bus tour, wedged between Indianapolis on
Thursday and Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Tuesday. Rise of Rest has made similar stops in more
than 20 other cities over the past three years.” (Dan Gearino, “Rise Of The Rest,” The Columbus Dispatch,
10/14/17)
Vance Said He Joined The Rise Of The Rest Fund To Help Bring Opportunity To Parts Of
The Country That Have Not Seen Investment From Venture Capital Funds. STEVE CASE:
“It’s not about a feeling about being left behind, they have been left behind. We have to kind of
level the playing field so everybody everywhere really does feel like they have a shot at the
American Dream. Right now, they don’t. SHARYN ALFONSI (voiceover): “J.D. Vance agrees.
It’s the reason he became Case’s partner in the Rise of the Rest fund. Vance, wrote the New
York Times’ best-seller ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’… Vance’s book details his upbringing in Appalachia,
surrounded by heartbreaking poverty, drug addiction and instability. After a stint in the Marines,
then earning degrees from Ohio State and Yale Law School, Vance began a career as a high tech
investor in Silicon Valley.” J.D. VANCE: “I definitely get a little bit skeptical when somebody’s
development a new app for parking, and they tell me they’re changing the world. So, I do think
sometimes folks in San Francisco can drink a little bit too much of their own Kool-Aid.” (CBS’
“60 Minutes,” 3/17/19)
Investors In Rise Of The Rest Included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz, And Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt. “Some of the world’s most influential
business leaders want to repair the deep divisions in America by investing in entrepreneurship
outside of traditional tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Seattle. That’s the goal of Rise of the
Rest, an organization created by AOL co-founder Steve Case and J.D. Vance, author of ‘Hillbilly
Elegy,’ to ‘revolutionize’ the U.S. economy. The two connected because Case read Vance’s
chronicle of Rust Belt decline as a problem that needed solving. That’s according to an account
from The New York Times that details how the unlikely duo formed the Rise of the Rest Tour,
traveling across the country to make small investments in startups. Now, they’re taking the
project to the next level with a little help from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz, Alphabet Chairman Eric Schmidt and others.” (Monica Nickelsburg, “Bezos And Other Tech
Luminaries Back $150M ‘Rise Of The Rest’ Fund To Boost Startups Between Coasts,” Geekwire, 12/5/17)
The Fund’s Investors Also Included Members Of The Koch, Pritzker, And Walton
Families. “Much of Revolution's recent high-profile efforts have focused on its Rise of the Rest
endeavors, including its $150 million seed fund. That fund contains a slew of big-name
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investors, including Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos, The Carlyle Group
(NASDAQ: CG) co-founder David Rubenstein, former Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) executive
chariman Eric Schmidt, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and members of the Koch,
Pritzker and Walton families.” (Andy Medici, “Revolution Ventures Is Raising A New Fund,” Washington
Business Journal, 11/8/18)
Vance Headed The Fund As Managing Partner. “Steve Case's Rise of the Rest seed fund has
raised $150 million from a cavalcade of high-profile investors. Investors in the new fund,
named after Case's yearslong effort to draw more attention to nontraditional areas outside of
Silicon Valley and New York, include Amazon chief and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos,
The Carlyle Group co-founder David Rubenstein, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Starbucks CEO
Howard Schultz and members of the Koch, Pritzker and Walton families, according to a release.
‘We're pleased so many of America's most iconic investors, executives and founders have
joined with us to invest in Rise of the Rest cities,’ Steve Case said in the release. ‘Their support
validates our hypothesis that there are great startup investment opportunities all across the
country, and that by leveling the playing field we can help more entrepreneurs in more places
build companies that can improve our lives, and create jobs that can help lift up our
communities.’ Hillbilly Elegy author and Revolution partner J.D. Vance will head the fund as
managing partner, according to Revolution, leading a team composed of Revolution Partner
David Hall and director of investments for Rise of the Rest Anna Mason.” (Andy Medici, “Steve
Case's New Rise Of The Rest Fund Raises $150M From Big-Name Investors,” Washington Business Journal,
12/5/17)
Rise Of The Rest Invested In A Startup Founded By A Former Obama Official

In 2020, Rise Of The Rest Invested In WireWheel, An Arlington, Virginia Startup Founded
By Former Obama Administration Official Justin Antonipllai. “A data privacy management
startup led by former Obama administration official Justin Antonipillai has raised $10.6 million
in new funding, according to a new Securities and Exchange Commission filing. It brings the
Arlington startup WireWheel Inc.'s total funding to more than $23 million, according to data
from PitchBook. The company, founded in 2016, announced a $10 million funding round in
October 2018, with investors such as Chevy Chase venture powerhouse New Enterprise
Associates Inc., Arlington Sands Capital, Revolution's Rise of the Rest Fund and Grotech
Ventures. Chicago-based PSP Growth also participated. Dayna Grayson, venture partner at NEA
and now co-founder of newly formed Construct Capital, has a seat on the board.” (Andy Medici,
“Arlington Startup Led By Former Obama Official Raises Millions,” Washington Business Journal, 2/20/20)
Rise Of The Rest Invested In Gig Wage, A Company That Assists With Moving Money
Within The Gig Economy
In 2020, Rise Of The Rest Invested In Gig Wage, A Company That Assists With Moving
Money Within The Gig Economy. “Gig Wage is getting some new financial backing. The
Dallas firm, a fintech payroll platform provider for the gig economy, has landed an "A" round of
$7.5 million, the company announced Tuesday. The effort was led by Green Dot Corp., the
California company that provides prepaid debit cards and banking services. That brings its
overall fund-raising efforts to about $11 million, a spokesperson said. The funds will help with
its growth in areas that include sales and marketing, along with business and partnership
development. Also, it will help with ongoing product innovation, including engineers. The
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company is seeing about 30 percent month-over-month growth in ‘all facets of its business,’
according to the statement. Gig Wage builds products that assist with moving money inside the
gig economy. It's taking on the challenges around handling contractor payroll, payments and
compliance. With the deal, Green Dot will serve as an infrastructure bank partner, enabling Gig
Wage to add banking options to its instant payments platform for workers. The pandemic has
accelerated the growth of the gig economy - think players such as Doordash and Postmates - by
illuminating the need for modern touchless payment technology and branchless banking,
according to the statement. Many essential workers are 1099 contractors and a part of the under-
banked community. … Other investors in the A round include Continental Investors, Techstars,
Rise of the Rest and others.” (Brian Womack, “Dallas-Based Gig Wage Gets $7.5M In Funding Round Led
By California Firm,” Dallas Business Journal, 10/27/20)
Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Various Companies Across The Country
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Stord Inc., An Atlanta-Based Software-
Enabled Warehousing Company. “Stord Inc., a software-enabled network of warehouses &
distribution centers, announced today the completion of a $2.4M seed round of funding. The
funding will be used to further enhance Stord's software, expand their team, and continue the
expansion of their growing customer base. Susa Ventures and Dynamo co-led the round with
participation from various funds such as Revolution's Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and the Engage
Fund, an Atlanta-based fund comprised of 11 of the nation's largest corporations. The company
has previously raised $230k and completed the Dynamo Accelerator program in 2016.” (Stord
Inc., “Stord Raises $2.4 Million In Seed Funding To Grow Category Leading Warehousing & Distribution
Platform,” Press Release, 4/23/18)
Vance: “Stord Saw The Unique Opportunity To Take A Massive, Fragmented Industry
Like Warehousing And Distribution And Win By Owning The Customer Relationship And
The Software Rather Than Owning The Physical Asset Itself. It Is Another Great Example
Of Founders Solving Big Problems In Cities Beyond The Coastal Tech Hubs.” (Stord Inc.,
“Stord Raises $2.4 Million In Seed Funding To Grow Category Leading Warehousing & Distribution Platform,”
Press Release, 4/23/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In DemandJump, An Indianapolis-Based

Marketing Software Company, With Vance Calling It “A Great Example Of The
Innovative Companies That Are Starting And Scaling In Cities Beyond The Coastal Tech
Hubs.” “DemandJump, the leading marketing Customer Acquisition Platform, announces today
the completion of a $6 million Series A financing round. Strategic investors include Revolution’s
Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, Flyover Capital, Cultivation Capital, 4G Ventures, Bob Davoli and
Hyde Park Venture Partners. The funding will be invested into sales, marketing and product
innovation expansion. ‘We are excited to have oversubscribed our Series A round and look
forward to expanding our go to market team. We have added some incredible brand names over
the last year, across verticals,’ said Christopher Day, CEO and co-founder of DemandJump. ‘We
are proud that our customers typically experience an average increase of 200-500% ROI by
leveraging insights and recommendations surfaced by our platform.’ ‘We first met DemandJump
in Indianapolis during our Rise of the Rest bus tour last year and were impressed with their
ability to transform marketing into a revenue center for brands across multiple verticals,’ said
J.D. Vance, managing partner of Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. ‘It is a great example
of the innovative companies that are starting and scaling in cities beyond the coastal tech hubs.’”
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(DemandJump, “DemandJump Secures $6M Series A to Fuel Customer Acquisition Platform,” Press Release,
4/12/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Cotopaxi, A Utah-Based Outdoor Gear
Company. “In a confluence of efforts centered on social consciousness, Utah gear company
Cotopaxi is among the first companies to receive funding from Rise of the Rest. Rise of the Rest
is an investment effort - launched by billionaire AOL founder Steve Case and ‘Hillbilly Elegy’
author J.D. Vance - aimed at discovering and supporting innovation companies outside Silicon
Valley and East Coast tech epicenters. The fiscal infusion, announced Friday, will help Cotopaxi
expand its branded brick-and-mortar stores in select U.S. cities, with a Utah store slated to open
in Murray's Fashion Place mall, adding to the company's original, and only, retail space in
downtown's City Creek Center.” (Art Raymond, “Utah's Cotopaxi Among First Funded By AOL Founder,”
Deseret Morning News, 2/17/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Catalytes, A Baltimore-Based Software
Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup investments cover eight states
that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky, South Carolina and Ohio. The
$150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and J.D. Vance, with backing from
many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support tech ecosystems outside of Silicon
Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the Rest seed fund is part of
Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder and former chief executive
officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…Catalytes (Baltimore, Maryland)
algorithms identify job candidates who show promise for software engineering positions, but
might be overlooked by traditional HR practices. It was created to keep companies from having
to outsource tech jobs overseas while also creating more diverse workforces. Revolution
participated in Catalytes $27 million Series A.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First
Group Of Investments,” Financial Services Monitor Worldwide, 2/16/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In ENGAGE Talents, A Charleston-Based
Software Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup investments cover
eight states that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky, South Carolina
and Ohio. The $150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and J.D. Vance, with
backing from many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support tech ecosystems
outside of Silicon Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the Rest seed fund
is part of Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder and former chief
executive officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…ENGAGE Talents (Charleston,
South Carolina) software helps companies attract and recruit passive talent, or valuable
candidates who arent actively planning to leave their current jobs, but can be persuaded to take a
new position with the right incentives.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First Group Of
Investments,” Financial Services Monitor Worldwide, 2/16/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Losant, A Cincinnati-Based “Internet
Of Things” Software Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup
investments cover eight states that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including
Kentucky, South Carolina and Ohio. The $150 million fund was launched in December by
Steve Case and J.D. Vance, with backing from many of Americas most influential
businesspeople, to support tech ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley, New York City and other
major hubs. The Rise of the Rest seed fund is part of Revolution, the investment firm also
launched by Case, a co-founder and former chief executive officer of AOL. Its first investments
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are listed below…Losant (Cincinnati, Ohio) is an enterprise Internet of Things platform that
allows companies to manage devices and end-user apps and analyze data in real-time to make
sure everything is working directly.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First Group Of
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In SafeChain Inc., A Columbus-Based
Blockchain Startup. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup investments cover
eight states that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky, South Carolina
and Ohio. The $150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and J.D. Vance, with
backing from many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support tech ecosystems
outside of Silicon Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the Rest seed fund
is part of Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder and former chief
executive officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…SafeChain Inc. (Columbus,
Ohio) is a blockchain startup focused on the real estate industry. Its SafeWire software is
designed to verify bank accounts and keep wire transfers safe while reducing the amount of time
it takes to close a property sale.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First Group Of
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In SEEVA, A Seattle-Based Automotive
Hardware And Software Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup
investments cover eight states that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky,
South Carolina and Ohio. The $150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and
J.D. Vance, with backing from many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support
tech ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the
Rest seed fund is part of Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder
and former chief executive officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…SEEVA
(Seattle, Washington) builds software and hardware systems that help cars operate safely in poor
weather conditions, including snowstorms and heavy rain, by automatically clearing debris from
windshields, cameras and other equipment. Rest of the Rises investment was part of a $2 million
round Seeva raised to target the autonomous vehicle market.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund
Announces Its First Group Of Investments,” Financial Services Monitor Worldwide, 2/16/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In ZenBusiness, An Austin-Based Online
Business Services Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup investments
cover eight states that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky, South
Carolina and Ohio. The $150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and J.D.
Vance, with backing from many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support tech
ecosystems outside of Silicon Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the Rest
seed fund is part of Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder and
former chief executive officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…ZenBusiness
(Austin, Texas) is an online service that lets business owners create an LLC or corporation for
free.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First Group Of Investments,” Financial Services Monitor
Worldwide, 2/16/18)
In 2018, Vance And Rise Of The Rest Invested In Zylo, An Indianapolis-Based Software
Company. “The Rise of the Rest seed funds first round of startup investments cover eight states
that are usually overlooked by tech investors, including Kentucky, South Carolina and Ohio. The
$150 million fund was launched in December by Steve Case and J.D. Vance, with backing from
many of Americas most influential businesspeople, to support tech ecosystems outside of Silicon
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Valley, New York City and other major hubs. The Rise of the Rest seed fund is part of
Revolution, the investment firm also launched by Case, a co-founder and former chief executive
officer of AOL. Its first investments are listed below…Zylo (Indianapolis, Indiana) is a SaaS
optimization platform that lets companies manage all the software-as-as-service subscriptions
used.” (“The Rise Of The Rest Seed Fund Announces Its First Group Of Investments,” Financial Services Monitor
Worldwide, 2/16/18)
VANCE APPEARS TO HAVE ENJOYED A LUXURIOUS LIFESTYLE

SINCE BECOMING A PUBLISHED AUTHOR SEVERAL YEARS AGO
Since Publishing His Book, Vance Has Enjoyed Luxury Accommodations
In 2017, During A Speech He Gave At The New York City University Club, Vance Ate A
$46 Steak, Drank A $19 Martini, And Stayed In A $700 Hotel Room. “Here is J.D. Vance, a
long way from Middletown, Ohio, arriving at the gilded Fifth Avenue temple of the University
Club, a massive pile of excess born of robber-baron lucre and standing in the shadow of its glass-
and-steel successor, Trump Tower. Vance has no tie. The club requires that he wear one. He is
offered a scrawny, wrinkled navy number, possibly a Brooks Brothers reject, that looks as
though it has collected lint through several society seasons. That Vance is the night’s honored
speaker, at a benefit for socioeconomically disadvantaged students, which he himself was not a
decade ago, makes no difference. Rules are rules. … On this night, a long way from his family’s
origins in a Kentucky holler, Vance will feast on a $46 steak, drain a $19 martini, slumber in a
$700 hotel room and shake his head at the absurdity of it all.” (Karen Heller, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Made
J.D. Vance The Voice Of The Rust Belt. But Does He Want That Job?” The Washington Post, 2/6/17)
Vance Admits To Being A Member Of The Elite

In 2018, Vance Said It Was “Objectively True” That He Is A “Member Of The Elite.” “I
point out that based on his Ivy League résumé, profession and accomplished spouse — he met
his wife Usha at Yale and she is currently clerking for the chief justice of the US Supreme Court
— he has become a card-carrying member of the very elite he scorns. Vance laughs. ‘I react
viscerally to this idea that I am a member of the elite, even though it’s objectively true.’” (Shawn
Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance: ‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial Times,
2/2/18)
Hypocritically, Vance Has Utilized Class-Based Politics

In 2019, Vance Criticized The Democratic Party For Abandoning Class Politics In Favor
Of Identity Politics, Saying It Hindered The “National Solidarity That You Need To
Actually Solve Some Of These Bigger Problems.” CARLSON: “So you've said -- I've heard
you say before that maybe the saddest change in the Democratic Party was this abandonment of
class politics, to put it bluntly, in favor of identity politics?” VANCE: “Yes, that's exactly right.
And if you get the study that you just cited, one of the craziest parts about it is that it doesn't --
talking about white privilege doesn't increase sympathy for poor black people. It just decreases
sympathy for poor white.” CARLSON: “I know, exactly.” VANCE: “It has this incredibly
divisive effect on our politics. It frankly destroys some of the solidarity, the national solidarity
that you need to actually solve some of these bigger problems and it doesn't even help the people
that it purports to help. This rhetoric is like pure division, no solution, and everybody loses.” (Fox
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Vance Argued That Problems Faced By Black People – Like Difficulty Accessing Credit –
Were The Fault Of “Financial Elites” Rather Than “The Poor White Person.” CARLSON:
“I would argue that not everybody loses. It actually exculpates, it lets off the hook on ruling
class. So they've failed a huge chunk of their fellow Americans. They're in charge and the
middle class is dying, but they don't have feel guilty about it because the middle class deserves
it.” VANCE: “Yes, yes. So I find it's helpful to actually think about the real problems and who
benefits from those problems and who might benefit from a solution. So very real problem in
America right now is that if you're a black business owner to focus on problems of black
Americans, it's really hard to get access to capital to grow your business. Right? So whose fault
is that? Is it the fault of the poor white person? Or is it the fault of our financial elites?” (Fox
• Vance: “So Notice The Distraction, This White Privilege Discourse Infects In Our
Politics, It Takes The Focus Away From The People Who Might Actually Solve The
Problem. It Puts The Focus On People Who Are Also Suffering From A Very
Similar Problem, And At The End Of The Day, Nobody Benefits.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
VULNERABILITIES STEMMING FROM HILLBILLY ELEGY

Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Received Steady Criticism
Vance Has Received Criticism For “Victim-Blaming” In Hillbilly Elegy
Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy Has Been Accused Of “Victim-Blaming,” Including By Former
Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH), Who Was Born Poor And Is Appalachian. “For all the
popularity of Vance and his book, he has many critics. He has been accused of victim-blaming,
drawing overly broad conclusions from his own life, ignoring the role of corporations in creating
the twin miseries of joblessness and opiate addiction and downplaying the role of government
(for instance, the Marines and a public university) in his own success. Former Ohio Gov. Ted
Strickland, himself born poor and Appalachian, found ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ harsh and judgmental. ‘I
would like for us to talk about the circumstances that a lot of people are facing through no fault
of their own,’ he says. ‘I'm not into blaming the victim. A lot of people are caught up in
dysfunctional behaviors for very complex reasons other than their unwillingness to work hard or
their lack of will or their character defects.’” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D.
Vance,” Columbus Monthly, 11/2017)
A Middletown Native Criticized Vance’s Depiction Of The City In Hillbilly Elegy

In A 2017 Column In The Kearny Hub, Middletown Native Mary Jane Skala Criticized
Vance’s Depiction Of The City, Noting That It Was Not The Middletown She Knew. “Not
everyone in Middletown, Ohio, is as crude and rough as the family dissected in J.D. Vance's
childhood memoir, ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ I know. My parents were born and raised there. ‘Hillbilly
Elegy’ is Vance's story of growing up in Middletown, a city the size of Grand Island in
southwestern Ohio. Vance writes of relatives who spat and fought, who discarded spouses like
dirty Kleenex and imbibed liquor and drugs. Just like Nebraskans reacted to the 2014 film
‘Nebraska,’ I recoiled when I read Vance's book. The Middletown I know is not the Middletown
Vance writes about. Vance zeroes in on a group — the Appalachian poor — who have escaped
the media's radar. Perhaps that's why the book still reigns atop the New York Times' nonfiction
best-seller list. Its sole bright spot is its conclusion: ‘The most important lesson is not that society
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failed to provide me with opportunities. The real problem for many of these kids is what happens
(or doesn't happen) at home.’” (Mary Jane Skala, Op-Ed, “Far Prouder ‘Hillbilly Elegy’,” Kearney Hub,
3/16/17)
Skala: “As I Read, I Grew Impatient With Vance's Repeated Assertions That Every
Middletown Family Is A Crippled Mess. … So Much For The Generalizations In ‘Hillbilly
Elegy.’” “As I read, I grew impatient with Vance's repeated assertions that every Middletown
family is a crippled mess. My grandparents didn't fight. They focused on opportunity. Eight of
their nine children put themselves through college. One earned a doctorate. Uncle Paul became
editor of the Middletown Journal. My father became news director at WGAR Radio in
Cleveland. My mother's Middletown family was just as determined. My grandfather was raised
by his widowed mother. My mother was the valedictorian of her class and first in her family to
graduate from college. So much for the generalizations in ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’” (Mary Jane Skala, Op-
Ed, “Far Prouder ‘Hillbilly Elegy’,” Kearney Hub, 3/16/17)
Skala: “Readers Of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Must Not Assume That Every Middletonian Is A
Cheating, Drunken, Unemployed Louse.” “Yes, Middletown withered in recent years with
the demise of AK Steel, but readers of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ must not assume that every
Middletonian is a cheating, drunken, unemployed louse. All of us, Pearl and Joseph's
descendants, have returned to rural Kentucky, prowled around the remains of the old homestead
and explored the family graveyard. We know where we came from. We also know who we
came from. Our laughter, camaraderie, moral values and the iron-tight affection for one another
is irreplaceable. It all started in Middletown.” (Mary Jane Skala, Op-Ed, “Far Prouder ‘Hillbilly Elegy’,”
Kearney Hub, 3/16/17)
Vance’s 2017 Centre College Commencement Address Received Criticism As

“Unapologetically Dismissive Of The Student Population”
In Advance Of Vance’s 2017 Centre College Commencement Address, Recent Centre
College Graduate Audrey Ash Criticized His Approach To Understanding Poverty As
“Ineffective And Incomplete.” “Centre College's 2017 commencement speaker, meant to
inspire the graduating class while endowing wisdom and receiving an honorary degree for the
appearance, is excitingly controversial. Already inspiring many hateful Facebook posts and
sparking a campus-wide discussion led by professors for an ‘informed and thoughtful reception’
of the address, J.D. Vance received more free marketing on Centre's campus since April 10. …
His approach to understanding Appalachian poverty is both ineffective and incomplete, for while
some Appalachians may not trust outsiders, and may not know how to eat at a dinner party, there
is a systematic, structural history that has perpetuated poverty. His analysis inadequately
addresses tax policies, unemployment, underemployment, lack of healthcare, and several other
causes of poverty consistent throughout the region. Due to his incomplete analysis, his implicit
solution of overcoming laziness in Appalachian and ‘getting out’ is futile. Vance addresses
‘learned helplessness’ as if it is voluntary, and not a learned trait from years of systematic
poverty. The most harmful elements of Vance's work are not the half-baked analysis or
stereotypes. I receive comments like ‘Oh really, you don't act like that,’ or ‘Where's your
accent?’ Although offended, I rarely face discrimination associated with those stereotypes.”
(Audrey Ash, Op-Ed, “Centre College Insensitive To Appalachia With Vance's Commencement Address,” The
Courier-Journal, 5/21/17)
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Ash: “The True Insidiousness Of Vance's Narrative Is Found In His Strong Emphasis On
Leaving. … But Leaving Is Not A Solution, Nor Is It A Helpful Narrative.” “The true
insidiousness of Vance's narrative is found in his strong emphasis on leaving. While Vance never
explicitly mentions that success involves moving away, his implicit explanation of his own
success is founded in this. His grandparents left Kentucky in hopes of a better life. His mother
repeatedly searches for hope of defeating addiction by moving away from her Middletown,
Ohio, home. Vance, who is third-generation from Jackson, Kentucky, is finally a vision of
success, but only because of his odyssey from Jackson and Middletown, his stint in the military,
his marriage to an outsider, and ultimately, his move to Cincinnati. This narrative is repeated in
others in his life. Yet with this push for relocation, he fails to mention the associated difficulties-
when poverty is a family tradition, families typically do not have the means to migrate. But
leaving is not a solution, nor is it a helpful narrative.” (Audrey Ash, Op-Ed, “Centre College Insensitive
To Appalachia With Vance's Commencement Address,” The Courier-Journal, 5/21/17)
Ash: “Vance's Placement Into Centre Alumni Was Unapologetically Dismissive Of The
Student Population And Appalachian Community On Campus.” “Vance's placement into
Centre alumni was unapologetically dismissive of the student population and Appalachian
community on campus. The insensitivity in choosing J. D. Vance lies in the school's insensitivity
to the region of Appalachia, placing on a pedestal the champion for hard earned success and
passive avoidance of structural problems that will persist without political action.” (Audrey Ash,
Op-Ed, “Centre College Insensitive To Appalachia With Vance's Commencement Address,” The Courier-Journal,
5/21/17)
Vance Was Protested While Speaking At A 2018 Appalachian Studies Conference

In 2018, Vance Was Protested While Speaking At The Appalachian Studies Association
Conference. “The author of Hillbilly Elegy, the New York Times bestseller about growing up in
Appalachia, was disrupted in an appearance at an Appalachian Studies Association (ASA)
conference. ‘This session took place during the final day of the 2018 Appalachian Studies
Association conference,’ according to a statement issued by the Young Appalachian Leaders and
Learners (Y'ALL). ‘Protests against Vance's presence began as the convener of the roundtable
was introducing Vance, encouraging the audience to save questions about Hillbilly Elegy for
after the session, attempting to keep the roundtable focused on the subject of opioids.’ ‘Members
of the audience began to speak out against Vance being given a platform to speak at the
conference, and the convener responded by declaring that, as academics, we should all be willing
to listen and critically engage in discussion with anyone regardless of their beliefs. As Vance
began to deliver his speech, a number of audience members stood up, turned their chairs around,
and protested in silence with their backs turned to Vance until he concluded his remarks.’”
(Accuracy In Academia, “J. D. Vance Dissed At Appalachian Studies Association,” Press Release, 4/25/18)
Historian Elizabeth Catte Criticized Hillbilly Elegy For Its Depiction Of Life In The Region
In 2018, Historian Elizabeth Catte Criticized Vance And Hillbilly Elegy For Perpetuating
Harmful Misconceptions About The Region. “Catte spent much of her hour Tuesday deriding
‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ the popular book by venture capitalist and Yale graduate J.D. Vance about
poverty and powerlessness in Appalachia, and which Catte says has helped to revive outdated
theories about a culture of poverty. ‘It’s no secret that I abhor J.D. Vance,’ she said. Vance’s
book at one point reads, ‘these problems were not created by governments or corporations or
anyone else, only we can fix them.’ Catte focused her objections to the book on its frequent use
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of the word ‘we,’ which Vance uses to speak as an Appalachian writing about Appalachian
culture. But in a region of roughly 25 million people, Catte says, ‘No one person can claim to
speak for it.’” (Waylon Cunningham, “Appalachia Historian Challenges 'Hillbilly Elegy' At Blount County
Library,” The Daily Times, 9/6/18)
• Catte: “It’s No Secret That I Abhor J.D. Vance.” (Waylon Cunningham, “Appalachia
Historian Challenges 'Hillbilly Elegy' At Blount County Library,” The Daily Times, 9/6/18)
A Collection Of Essays Criticizing Hillbilly Elegy Was Published In 2019

In 2019, “Appalachia Reckoning: A Region Responds To ‘Hillbilly Elegy’” – A Collection
Of Essays Responding To Vance’s Book – Was Published. “J.D. Vance's ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ the
surprise best seller published in 2016, is a frisky memoir with a bit of conservative moralizing
dangling off, like the price tag on Minnie Pearl's hat. Nearly everyone likes the memoir sections.
(His portrait of his grandmother, a "pistol-packing lunatic," is indelible.) The moralizing has
been divisive. A new anthology, ‘Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to 'Hillbilly
Elegy,'’ edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll, presents the most sustained
pushback to Vance's book (soon to be a Ron Howard movie) thus far. It's a volley of intellectual
buckshot from high up alongside the hollow.” (Dwight Garner, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Had Strong Opinions
About Appalachians. Now, Appalachians Return the Favor.,” The New York Times, 2/25/19)
One Writer Criticized Vance For Purporting To Speak For Appalachian Culture. “To hear
the writers in "Appalachian Reckoning" tell it, the problems with ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ start with its
subtitle: ‘A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.’ Those last three words are a lot to
swallow. They illustrate Vance's habit of pivoting from personal experience into the broadest of
generalizations. His is a book in which the words ‘I’ and ‘we’ are slippery indeed. As Dwight B.
Billings, a professor emeritus of sociology and Appalachian studies at the University of
Kentucky, puts it in this new anthology, ‘It is one thing to write a personal memoir extolling the
wisdom of one's personal choices but quite something else - something extraordinarily
audacious - to presume to write the 'memoir' of a culture.’” (Dwight Garner, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Had
Strong Opinions About Appalachians. Now, Appalachians Return the Favor.,” The New York Times, 2/25/19)
Another Writer Compared Vance Unfavorably To Barack Obama And Sonia Sotomayor,
Noting That Obama And Sotomayor Had Managed To Tell Their Own Stories Of Rising
From Adversity Without Disparaging Others Who Were Not Able To Do So. “In her
perceptive essay, Lisa R. Pruitt, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, boils
down Vance's advice this way: ‘'Hillbillies' just need to pull themselves together, keep their
families intact, go to church, work a little harder and stop blaming the government for their
woes.’ Pruitt compares Vance's memoir to those by Barack Obama and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
What if Obama, she asks, had condemned ‘those he worked among as a community organizer in
Chicago, even while basking in his own success as the obvious fruits of his own labor.’ She
continues, ‘Or imagine Sonia Sotomayor, in her best-selling memoir 'My Beloved World,' taking
complete credit for her class migration from the Bronx's Puerto Rican American community to a
seat on the U.S. Supreme Court, all while saying the Latinx youth and young adults left behind
simply lacked the grit and discipline to achieve similarly lofty goals.’” (Dwight Garner, “‘Hillbilly
Elegy’ Had Strong Opinions About Appalachians. Now, Appalachians Return the Favor.,” The New York Times,
2/25/19)
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VANCE’S TIES TO CIRCUIT THERAPEUTICS COULD CREATE

VULNERABILITIES
Vance Worked For A Biotechnology Company That Received Federal Contracts
Vance Ran Circuit Therapeutics, A Neuroscience-Focused Biotechnology Company.
“Vance escaped those problems, earning degrees from Ohio State and Yale Law School, then
went on to run a neuroscience-focused biotechnology company, Circuit Therapeutics, before
becoming a principal at Mithril Capital, a Silicon Valley investment firm.” (Tim Feran, “‘Hillbilly’
Author JD Vance Aims To Invest Time, Venture Capital In Home State Of Ohio,” The Columbus Dispatch, 4/9/17)
In 2015, Circuit Therapeutics Won A $1.4 Million Federal Contract From The Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) For Research On Electrical Prescriptions
Under The ElectRx Program. “Circuit Therapeutics Inc., Menlo Park, California, won a federal
contract valued at up to $1,440,126 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
Arlington, Virginia, for an innovative research effort on electrical prescriptions under the
ElectRx program. The contract involves the creation of closed-loop neuromodulation systems
that utilize innate neurophysiological circuits to achieve therapeutic benefits. To achieve this
goal, ElectRx will simultaneously drive biological understanding and technology development.
Specifically, ElectRx is looking to develop and leverage fundamental understanding of the
anatomy and physiology of neural circuits in the spinal cord or peripheral nerves that mediate
health status. This knowledge will be leveraged to design and demonstrate feedbackcontrolled
neuromodulation systems for the direct regulation of immune system functions and CNS
disorders. In parallel, technology development focused on next-generation minimally-invasive
neural interfaces and biosensors will enable interaction with the neurophysiology of interest at
unmatched spatiotemporal resolution, precision, and specificity. These neuromodulation
treatments will be tuned automatically and continuously to the unique physiology of each
individual and will produce no off-target effects.” (Circuit Therapeutics, “$1.44 Million Federal Contract
Awarded To Circuit Therapeutics,” Press Release, 10/10/15)
In 2015, Circuit Therapeutics Won A $2.7 Million Contract From DARPA To Pursue
Optogenetic Therapies. “Circuit Therapeutics today announced that it has been awarded a 2.7
million dollar contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to
pursue optogenetic therapies for peripheral nervous system indications. The award, part of
DARPA's Electrical Prescriptions (ElectRX) program, will enable Circuit to pursue research and
development projects related to its treatment for neuropathic pain.” (Circuit Therapeutics, “Circuit
Therapeutics Receives Significant Contract From DARPA,” Press Release, 12/10/15)
VANCE’S TIES TO INNOVATE OHIO COULD CREATE

VULNERABILITIES
Vance Served On The Advisory Board Of InnovateOhio
Vance Served On The Advisory Board Of InnovateOhio – Lieutenant Governor Jon
Husted’s State Government Innovation Initiative. “Some of Ohio's most prominent names in
business, tech and venture capital will advise Lt. Gov. Jon Husted's new state government
innovation initiative. Husted's office on Monday launched the website for InnovateOhio, the
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expansive but poorly understood new government department which Gov. Mike DeWine tapped
Husted to run shortly after taking office in January. Prominently featured on the new site is a
video in which Husted describes his vision for InnovateOhio, which aims to use technology to
improve Ohioans' lives and streamline government operations. Along with the website launch, a
list of InnovateOhio advisory board members also was unveiled. The 14-member board will be
chaired by Falon Donohue, CEO of VentureOhio, a Columbus trade association for venture
investors, tech firms and universities. The board's members also include:…J.D. Vance, a
venture capitalist whose bestselling memoir, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ helped him get his foot in the
door with state politics” (Andrew J. Tobias, “Ohio Leaders In Business, Tech, And Venture Capital Will
Advise New State Innovation Effort,” Plain Dealer, 4/23/19)
VANCE’S TIES TO LED COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES

Vance Invested In An LED Greenhouse Project
In 2020, A $100 Million Greenhouse Tomato-And-Cucumber Project With The World’s
Largest LED Installation For A Single Building Was Set To Debut In Morehead, Kentucky
With Funding From Vance. “In addition to Gotham Greens, the Washington-Baltimore area
will become home to an outpost of Bowery Farming in November. In the second half of 2020, a
$100 million greenhouse tomato-andcucumber project with the world’s largest LED installation
for a single building will debut in Morehead, Ky., funded in part by ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ writer J.D.
Vance.” (Laura Reiley, “Indoor Farming Looks Like It Could Be The Answer To Feeding A Hot And Hungry
Planet. It’s Not That Easy.,” The Washington Post, 11/19/19)
VANCE’S TIES TO MITHRIL CAPITAL COULD CREATE

VULNERABILITIES
After Law School, Vance Worked At A Law Firm And Then Became An Executive At
A Biotech Company. From There, He Left To Join Mithril Capital, An Investment
Firm
After Law School, Vance Worked At A Law Firm And Then Became An Executive At A
Biotech Company. From There, He Left To Join Mithril Capital, An Investment Firm.
(Alexandra Wolfe, “J.D. Vance And The Anger Of The White Working Class,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/29/16)
In 2017, Vance Announced He Was Heading To Revolution LLC But Would Continue
Doing Work For Mithril Capital. “Mr. Vance most recently has been a part of Mithril
Capital, the venture vehicle for noted Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel, and he said he would
continue to do some work for Mithril. At Revolution, he said he isn’t focused on specific
industry sectors or geographies other than the ‘47 states’ that receive 20% of the nation’s
venture commitments.” (Dennis K. Berman, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author J.D. Vance Moves To Ohio To Find
Venture-Capital Deals,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/22/17)
As Of November 2017, Vance Was Still Associated With Mithril. “Vance is still associated
with Thiel and Mithril but has taken a job as an investment partner in Revolution LLC, where
he's working with AOL founder Steve Case on the Rise of the Rest initiative. The project aims
to bring venture capital to the Midwest. And, with the help of Chabria and Jivani, he's also
established Our Ohio Renewal.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance,”
Columbus Monthly, November 2017)
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Vance Became A Partner At Mithril In 2016 After Leading Operations At A Biotech

Startup. “Meanwhile, he still represents San Francisco-based Mithril Capital Management,
which he joined as parter a year ago after leading operations at a biotech startup. The two jobs
don't overlap, he said, because Rise of the Rest is focused on very early seed investments,
while Mithril invests in growth-stage companies.” (Carrie Ghose, “J.D. Vance Bringing Interest Of
Coastal VC Funds To Central Ohio - But Not Only Central Ohio,” Columbus Business First, 4/12/17)
The FBI Probed Mithril Capital, Vance’s Former Employer, Over Possible Financial
Misconduct
In 2019, The FBI And Federal Investigators Began Probing The Conduct Of Mithril
Capital Over Concerns Of Possible Financial Misconduct. “Federal investigators are probing
the conduct and practices of Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel,
Recode has learned. US officials — including the FBI — have in recent months questioned some
people close to Mithril regarding concerns of possible financial misconduct at the firm,
according to people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity given its sensitivity.
Mithril confirmed in a statement that its lawyers are in touch with government authorities.
Mithril’s leader, Ajay Royan, has worked with Thiel for almost two decades and has used that
relationship to raise over $1 billion. But in recent years, Royan has frustrated some of his
investors by sitting on some of their money rather than investing it in startups — while almost
certainly raking in millions of dollars in fees for himself.” (Theodore Schleifer, “The FBI Is
Investigating A Venture Capital Fund Started By Peter Thiel For Financial Misconduct,” Recode, 9/12/19)
The Federal Probe Took Place During A Time Of Internal Tension And Employee
Departures At The Company. “This federal probe is just the latest — but most significant —
problem for the firm, which has increasingly struggled with internal tensions, declining morale,
and employee departures. Not all federal investigations, of course, end with an indictment, and
Mithril could eventually be cleared of wrongdoing.” (Theodore Schleifer, “The FBI Is Investigating A
Venture Capital Fund Started By Peter Thiel For Financial Misconduct,” Recode, 9/12/19)
VANCE’S TIES TO NARYA CAPITAL COULD CREATE

VULNERABILITIES
Backers Including Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen And Eric Schmidt
Backers Including Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen And Eric Schmidt. “With backing from
Peter Thiel, Eric Schmidt, Marc Andreessen and other Silicon Valley kings, bestselling author
J.D. Vance is 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. The firm will invest in young start-ups in the fields of
science and advanced technology with a typical check size between $5 million and $10 million,
said a person familiar with the plans. It will eschew consumerfocused businesses, the person
said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private.” (Lizette Chapman, “'Hillbilly Elegy'
Author Starts Fund,” Los Angeles Times, 1/14/20)
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• “Narya Has Raised $93 Million With A Goal Of Raising $125 Million, According To
A Federal Election Commission Filing.” (Andrew J Tobias, “J.D. Vance Starts New Ohio
Investment Fund,” Cincinnati Enquirer, 1/18/20)
VentureOhio
VentureOhio. “Falon Donohue's post-VentureOhio venture is a startup venture capital firm
that's already one of the largest in the state. Donohue is a partner with Narya Capital, according
to its website. She stepped down at year's end from the statewide VC trade group, as I reported
Wednesday, but said for regulatory reasons she can't comment on Narya. The Cincinnati firm
co-founded by author J.D. Vance and VC veteran Colin Greenspon has raised $93 million
toward a targeted $125 million fund, according to a regulatory filing late Wednesday.” (Carrie
Ghose, “Falon Donohue's New Enterprise Is A $93M Thiel-Backed VC Fund With J.D. Vance,” Columbus
Business First, 1/9/20)
Narya Capital Invested In AcreTrader

In March 2021, Narya Capital Invested In AcreTrader, A Farmland Investing Platform.
“AcreTrader issued the following news release: - Company continues to scale as farmland proves
to be a growing and resilient asset class AcreTrader, the farmland investing platform that
removes barriers to farmland investing and ownership, today announced it has raised a $12
million Series A funding round, led by Jump Capital. Narya Capital, Revolution's Rise of the
Rest Seed Fund, and existing investors RZC Investments and Revel Partners also participated in
the round, bringing the total amount of funds raised by AcreTrader to $18 million. The funds
will be used to improve overall access, liquidity, and transparency to farmland transactions
across the nation through improved online tools, data science, marketing, and expansion of
AcreTrader's team of agriculture, finance, and technology experts.” (Acretrader, “AcreTrader Raises
$12M Series A Funding To Modernize Farmland Transactions,” Press Release, 3/11/21)
AcreTrader Is Located In Fayetteville, Arkansas. “Fayetteville brokerage AcreTrader, the

online farmland investing platform, said Thursday (March 11) it had raised $12 million in Series
A funding. Jump Capital, a venture capital firm in Chicago, led the round.” (Paul Gatling,
“Fayetteville Startup AcreTrader Secures $12 Million In Series A Funding,” Talk Business & Politics, 3/11/21)
Vance And Narya Are Investors In Appharvest - A Startup Growing Produce In

Greenhouses In Appalachia
Vance Is An Early Investor In AppHarvest. “AppHarvest hadn’t grown a single piece of
produce when it announced it would be going public through a SPAC reverse merger that values
the startup greenhouse at more than $1 billion and has it on track to raise $460 million when it
starts trading next week. Those are pretty tatty numbers for a 60-acre indoor farm that started
shipping its first harvest just last week, with batches of organic tomatoes on the vine headed to
early investors that include Martha Stewart and bestselling author J.D. Vance, as well as the
brand s first retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, Meijer and Publix.” (Chloe Sorvino, “Money Is
Pouring Into Greenhouse Tech. Its First Business To Go Public Is Far From Ripe,” Forbes, 1/29/21)
AppHarvest Is A Morehead, Kentucky-Based Indoor Farming Company. “AppHarvest —

an indoor farming company backed by Martha Stewart — thinks the agriculture sector is ripe for
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disruption. And now, its tomatoes are ripe for eating. The Morehead, Kentucky-based company
said Tuesday it has begun shipping beefsteak tomatoes to Kroger, Walmart, Publix and other
grocers. Eventually, AppHarvest plans to ship 45 million pounds of tomatoes each year from its
60-acre indoor farm in Morehead.” (Dee-Ann Durbin, “High-Tech Indoor Farmer AppHarvest Starts
Shipping Tomatoes,” The Associated Press, 1/19/21)
“AppHarvest Has An All-Star Group Of Backers, Including Rupert Murdoch's Son James,
Legendary Investor Jeff Ubben, AOL Founder Steve Case, Martha Stewart And Best-
Selling Author J.D. Vance.” (“SPACs Sound Arcane, But Upend IPO Market,” Indianapolis Business
Journal, 1/22/21)
Vance And Narya Led AppHarvest’s $28 Million Series C Funding Round. “Narya Capital,
a venture capital firm founded by author JD Vance, has led a $28 million Series C for
AppHarvest, a controlled environment agriculture-focused start-up beginning to consider
international expansion. Narya was joined in the Series C by other investors that included S2G
Ventures , tech-focused venture firm Breyer Capital and Lupa Systems, a private holding
company established last year by former Fox News executive James Murdoch.” (Chris Janiec,
“Thiel-Backed Narya Leads $28m Series C As AppHarvest Eyes New Markets,” Agri Investor, 8/20/20)
Vance Also Invested In AppHarvest At Previous Venture Capital Fund – Rise Of The Rest.
“It's been about two years since AppHarvest, the company aiming to make Eastern Kentucky the
"high-tech agriculture capital of the country," planned to begin construction of a two-million
square foot greenhouse in Pikeville. After numerous delays and the company's decision to move
its greenhouse to Morehead in January, AppHarvest announced this week that it has secured
enough funding to begin construction. An $82 million cash investment from Equilibrium Capital
has put the company on a path to finally getting its greenhouse off the ground. Construction
should begin this summer, officials said, and AppHarvest hopes to be fully operational in the
latter-half of 2020…Along with Equilibrium, the company also received a second investment
from the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, which is led by AOL co-founder Steve Case and ‘Hillbilly
Elegy’ author J.D. Vance.” (Will Wright, “With $82 Million Investment, AppHarvest Finally Ready To Build
Its 60-Acre Greenhouse,” Lexington Herald Ledger, 5/24/19)
“Vance Said The Firm Has Put ‘A Substantial Amount Of Time And Investment’ Into Its
Relationship With AppHarvest.” (Will Wright, “AppHarvest Launches High-Tech Agriculture Class In
Pike County. Still No Word On Jobs.,” Lexington Herald Leader, 9/17/18)
Following Tweets That Some Claimed Were A Defense Of Tucker Carlson And White
Supremacy, Vance Resigned From The AppHarvest Board, A Move Vance Said Came
Well Before His Tweets. “Vance has been active on Twitter, criticizing ‘the ruling class,’
immigration policy and Big Tech censorship. He stirred up Twitter last week 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. This week
he resigned from the board of a Kentucky company, AppHarvest, that uses green technology to
produce food in Appalachia, but on Friday he denied it was because of fallout from the
controversial tweets. He said his decision predated them.” (Dan Sewell, “‘Hillbilly’ To Capitol Hill?
Author Eyes Senate Bid In Ohio,” The Associated Press, 4/16/21)
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Narya Capital Invested In Kriya Therapeutics, A Company Located In The Bay Area
Of California And The Research Triangle Park In North Carolina
In May 2020, Narya Capital Invested In The Series A Of Kriya Therapeutics, A Company
Located In The Bay Area Of California And The Research Triangle Park In North
Carolina. “Kriya Therapeutics issued the following news release: - Kriya is focused on
rationally designed gene therapies for severe chronic conditions affecting millions of patients -
Financing proceeds to support the development of Kriya's pipeline, internal discovery engine,
and proprietary GMP manufacturing infrastructure - Partnerships in place with leading academic
and research institutions, including Universitat Autnoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the U.S.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Kriya Therapeutics announced today that it has raised $80.5
million in a Series A financing to fund the development of transformative gene therapies for
highly prevalent serious diseases. Kriya was formed in the fourth quarter of 2019 and has an
industry-leading gene therapy team that includes former senior leadership from Spark
Therapeutics, AveXis, Sangamo Therapeutics, and other gene therapy companies. Kriya's
pipeline today includes multiple AAV-based gene therapies for the treatment of type 1 and type
2 diabetes, severe obesity, and other indications. The company is located in the Bay Area,
California and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and is building a platform infrastructure
in partnership with leading academic institutions and industry pioneers. Series A investors
include QVT, Dexcel Pharma, Foresite Capital, Bluebird Ventures (associated with Sutter Hill
Ventures), Narya Capital, Amplo, Paul Manning, and Asia Alpha. This Series A round follows
an initial seed financing completed by the company in the fourth quarter of 2019 led by
Transhuman Capital, who also participated in the Series A round.” (Kriya Therapeutics, “Kriya
Therapeutics Announces $80 Million Series A Financing To Advance Gene Therapies For Highly Prevalent Serious
Diseases,” Press Release, 5/12/20)
Parler Attempted To Raise Capital From Narya Capital

Parler Attempted To Raise Capital From Narya Capital. “With Parler’s management in flux,
it’s unclear when the app will come back online. With Matze gone, Mercer — who maintains
majority control — has reportedly designated responsibilities to Matthew Richardson, a British
lawyer, and Mark Meckler, a former tea party activist. Mercer, Richardson, and Meckler did not
respond to requests for comment. The company also recently attempted to raise funding,
including from Narya Capital, the venture capital firm of J.D. Vance, the author of the popular
memoir Hillbilly Elegy.” (Ryan Mac and Rosie Gray, “Parler Wanted Donald Trump On Its Site. Trump’s
Company Wanted A Stake.,” BuzzFeed, 2/5/21)
“Two Sources Told Buzzfeed News That Vance Has Also Advised Mercer On Matters
Regarding Parler.” (Ryan Mac and Rosie Gray, “Parler Wanted Donald Trump On Its Site. Trump’s Company
Wanted A Stake.,” BuzzFeed, 2/5/21)
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APPENDIX A: ISSUES OF NOTE (BY SUBJECT AREA)

Below is a non-comprehensive reference section pertaining to JD Vance’s issues and policy
positions of note. Any actionable material from this section has been incorporated into the prior
narrative sections.
FISCAL AND ECONOMIC

Overall – Commentary And Philosophy
Democrat Policies
Economic Policies Versus Those From Republicans. “While Vance conceded that white
working-class voters could 'benefit' from some Democratic economic policies versus those from
their Republican counterparts, there's a reason why so many in that voting bloc are hesitant to
switch to the Democratic ticket.' Even though they recognize that they need some help, they're
very proud in some ways and they're not going to be as attracted to a political candidate or a
political party that's fundamentally offering them free money or handouts in some way or
another,' he said.” (Rahel Gebreyes, “Author J.D. Vance Explains Why Rural, White Communities Support
Trump,” The Huffington Post, 8/16/16)
Trump’s “Core Domestic Policy Priorities”

“Not Looking Especially Good Right Now.” LEMON: “J.D., is he right? Because our new poll
shows 52 percent of Americans see the president's approach to the presidency as an unnecessary
risk. Forty-seven percent say it's a necessary shakeup. What do you think?” VANCE: “Well, he
is fundamentally arguing that he is being unconventional. And obviously it sounds like a fair
number of voters actually agree with that. The thing about those risks is it really matters what
consequence they eventually have. And I think that we're at this stage right now where Trump
can argue persuasively that he has been an unconventional president. But that has to lead
somewhere. If it leads to a tax reform proposal that fundamentally hurts his own voters, if it
leads to health care reform proposal that starts to hurt his own voters or hurt the country, then
that's not going to mean anything that he is unconventional. You can be unconventionally right
or unconventionally wrong. And I think it's way too early to tell. But you know, fundamentally,
the conversation has to turn to is Donald Trump making the lives of majority Americans better?
Or is he enabling them to make their own lives better? And right now, it's too early to say. But
the core domestic policy priorities, the core domestic policy proposals that he's put out there,
even though they are obviously not very detailed, to the degree that there are details, it's not
looking especially good right now.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 4/26/17)
Are Necessary To Move The Country Forward Yet.” VANCE: “And I say that of course as a
conservative who really wants this president to succeed in certain ways. But I just don't see the
evidence that we're being serious about the policies that are necessary to move the country
forward yet.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 4/26/17)
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Trump Credit
Due To Trump Or The Obama Administration. J.D. VANCE, CONTRIBUTOR, CNN:
“Well, obviously the economic numbers are pretty good and we can did he bail all night
whether those numbers are because of him or because of the policies of the past administration.
So, at least in some ways you're starting to see things like wage growth, you're starting to see
some job growth in the country. And whether, again, the president deserves some credit for it,
he's definitely going to get a fair amount of credit for it especially from the folks who voted and
put him into office. I think the most interesting thing to watch politically over the next few
months is whether if republicans fail to make big results on tax reform, whether the party starts
to turn against the congressional leadership. Because the temptation for the president at that
point is not going to be able to throw up his hands and say, well, I'm sorry, we haven't gotten
anything done. It's going to be to point fingers and I think the person who is going to point
fingers at most directly is Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. So I think there's a really
interesting question over the next few months whether the republican party civil war which has
really been bubbling below the surface for the past year breaks open or whether ultimately
they're able to get a legislative program done. And people are circulating the wagons and
celebrating regardless of whether the ultimate policy is super affected down the road. It at least
gives the president a win. So that's what I'm looking at.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/15/17)
Geographies Of The Country.” BLITZER: “You're surprised -- I'm surprised, you're surprised,
only 32 percent approve, at a time when pretty robust job numbers are out there.” J.D. VANCE,
CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Yes, well, it's definitely, you know, you see jobs numbers like this and
you'd expect the approval rating to be higher. I think that part of that is obviously the fact that the
president likes to mix it up with the media and he mixes it up enough and people start to get
exhausted and that probably drives down the approval rating a little bit. But I also think what
Steve said is really important, which is that part of what's driving people's sense of how well
they're doing is not the top line job numbers, but whether there are jobs in their communities and
real growth in their communities. And we saw this during the Obama administration. I think
we've seen this during the first year of the Trump administration, that though we're seeing some
job growth and the economy's starting to pick back up, that that doesn't necessarily mean it's
broadly distributed across all geographies of the country. And that's, in fact, one of the things
that we're trying to work on is make sure that if you're living in southwestern Ohio, if you're
living in Indianapolis, you have access to that high growth economy that we're seeing reflected
in some of those good job numbers.” (CNN’s “Wolf,” 12/8/17)
Milton Friedman Policies
In 2016, Vance Wrote That The GOP Had Pushed For Policies Backed By Thinkers Like
Milton Friedman Including Tax Cuts, Regulatory Reform, And Open Trade But That The
“Evidence Slowly Accumulated That They Failed To Address A Very Real Social Crisis
Among The Republican Base.” “At least since the late 1970s, a relatively consistent domestic
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policy agenda has guided the Republican Party. GOP leaders, drawing on thinkers such as the
brilliant economist Milton Friedman, pushed a combination of tax cuts, regulatory reform and
open trade. Sometimes, as in President Reagan’s time, these policies proved popular. And other
times, as during President George W. Bush’s time, they didn’t. Yet the party marched on, with
little revision to the core ideas that informed Reagan’s presidency. As late as summer 2015,
putative Republican presidential front-runners announced their candidacies in speeches that
promised the same basic agenda. Whatever you might think of these policies, evidence slowly
accumulated that they failed to address a very real social crisis among the Republican base. The
factories that formed the base of the blue-collar economy shed jobs or ceased operating
altogether. Median wages stagnated, and white working-class voters began telling pollsters that
they believed their children’s future would be worse than their own. Divorce rates crept steadily
upward, and a frightening drug epidemic took hold. Last year, in the medium-sized Ohio county
where I was born, deaths from drug overdoses outnumbered deaths from natural causes.” (J.D.
Vance, Op-Ed, “Hey Democrats, Do More Than Talk,” USA Today, 7/28/16)
In 2020, Vance Called Economist Milton Friedman’s Argument For Free Trad “Nonsense”
And Said That Free Trade Had Resulted In “Millions Of Men In The South And
Midwest” With “Pill Bottles And iPhones” Instead Of Jobs. “Almost certainly the most
influential right-of-center thinker of the last fifty years was Milton Friedman, a brilliant
monetary economist and quick-witted debater. Friedman’s ideas have influenced at least two
generations of conservatives (including yours truly), but he missed a lot. His view that
commercial freedom would reduce ‘the area over which political power is exercised’ motivated a
lot of U.S. policymakers in their approach to China and has proven tremendously short-sighted.
China is perhaps the most hypercapitalist regime in the world, but it has used its economic power
to become even more politically authoritarian. His views on trade similarly encouraged policy
makers to ignore the costs of opening our markets to cheap consumer goods. ‘Can you think of a
better deal,’ Friedman wrote in 1970, to those then concerned about Japan, ‘than our getting fine
textiles, shiny cars, and sophisticated T.V. sets for a bale of green printed paper?’ Well, a
conservative in 2020 might reply to this nonsense that a better deal might include millions of
men in the South and Midwest with jobs instead of pill bottles and iPhones. How about
communities with more steady father figures than opioids?” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy
The American “Nuclear Family” Over Free Market Principles

In 2019, Vance Argued That Conservatives Should Prioritize The Interests Of The
American “Nuclear Family” Over Protecting And Maintaining Free Markets. CARLSON:
“Well, for decades, the Republican Party has been proud to call itself the party of free markets,
and good for them. There's nothing wrong with markets, of course. We're for them. But there is
something much more important than any economic system, and that is the health of people.
When corporate interests, and the interests of American families conflict, you've got to side with
American families. It seems like an obvious one. We made it last week. We'll continue to make
it. One person who's been saying this for a long time is J. D. Vance. He's the Author of Hillbilly
Elegy, and he joins us tonight. J. D. Vance, thanks very much for coming on.” J. D. VANCE,
HILLBILLY ELEGY AUTHOR, VENTURE CAPITALIST: “Yes.” CARLSON: “So, the point
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is not to make some kind of argument against market capitalism or any country - company, in
particular. The - the point is only—” VANCE: “Yes.” CARLSON: “--that maybe Conservatives,
as they think about what's important, ought to put individual Americans, particularly the family
unit, the nuclear family, above all other considerations. Do you think that that's a crazy way to
see the world?” VANCE: “No, I don't at all. The way that I would frame it, Tucker, is we treat
market capitalism as an end or we treat market capitalism as a tool, a tool to create prosperity—”
CARLSON: “Exactly.” VANCE: “--a tool to create a lot of wealth, a tool to create a healthy
society. And I think what a lot of folks in the past 10, 15, 20 years on the Right have forgotten is
that it is a powerful tool, but it is not the end. It is not, as I said in a piece, a platonic deity that
enforces healthy families that enforces a prosperous society.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,”
1/9/19)
Vance Pointed To The Opioid Epidemic As An Example Of Why More Government

Intervention In The Economy Is Needed. “To keep the focus on the opioid epidemic, the Los
Angeles Times’ reporting on the role of the pharmaceutical industry is both excellent and
disturbing. It chronicles the ways in which some companies gamed our regulatory system to
obtain approval and patent protection for highly addictive drugs. Those companies then
knowingly lied about the safety of those drugs to doctors and patients. Some commentators have
framed their problem with Mr. Carlson’s argument as promoting “government intervention”
when that same intervention is the problem. But if you want to protect a community from drugs
that can take hold of a person’s mind and destroy whole neighborhoods soon thereafter, you need
some government intervention. This raises a fundamental question with which so many of Mr.
Carlson’s critics refuse to even engage: What happens when the companies that drive the market
economy — and all of its benefits — don’t care about the American nation’s social fabric? What
happens when, as in the case of a few massive narcotics sellers, they profit by destroying that
fabric?” (JD Vance, “The Health Of Nations,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/8/19)
• Vance: “Sometimes The Corporate Interests Who Are Responding To Market
Incentives, Who Are Acting Just As You Might Expect A Company To Act, Is
Actively Going To Harm The American Social Fabric.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
• Vance: “The Market Is Not A Platonic Deity, Floating In The Sky And Imposing
Goodnes And Prosperity From On High. It Is The Creation Of Our Choices, Our
Laws, And Our Democratic Process.” (JD Vance, “The Health Of Nations,” Pittsburgh Post-
Gazette, 1/8/19)
• Vance: “If A Company Is Pushing Opioids Into A Community In A Way That's

Destroying Families, Whose Side Are We Going To Take? Are We Going To Take
The Side Of The Corporate Interest Or Are We Going To Take The Side Of
American Families?” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/9/19)
Vance Complained That Conservatives Had “Lost A Little Bit Of Our Muscle Memory, A
Little Bit Of A Recognition That Libertarianism And Conservatism Aren't The Same
Thing.” VANCE: “Well, I think there are a couple things going on. I mean, first, so many of the
battles in the 1980s and the 1990s were about the Republicans being the party of markets and
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Democrats being the party--” CARLSON: “Right.” VANCE: “--against markets. And I think
what happened is that we lost a little bit of our muscle memory, a little bit of a recognition that
libertarianism and conservatism aren't the same thing, and that sometimes—” CARLSON:
“That's right.” VANCE: --the interests of families do conflict with some of these corporate
interests. I - I really don't think there's anything bizarre or anti- conservative about this.” (Fox
• Vance: “Do We Remember Who We're Fighting For? Are We For Healthy
Communities, Healthy Families Or Are We Just Going To Constantly Defer To
Corporate Interests Every Time Those Two - Those Two Sides Collide?” (Fox News’
Vance Warned That Failure To Stand Up To “Corporate World” Could Result Of

Damaging Ideologies, As Had Happened In The Past With The Rise Of Communism And
Fascism. CARLSON: “I'm worried that if we don't articulate this, really clearly, and act on it
that the reaction against our current form of capitalism will be so intensive, we're going to wind
up with something really destructive, socialism, or some awful economic system. Do you share
that worry?” VANCE: “I definitely share that worry. And, Tucker, if you look through history, if
you look at the Bolshevik Revolution in the early 20th Century--” CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE:
“--if you look at what was going on in the world as the American or, excuse me, the world
economy transferred from an agrarian society to the industrial economy, there was a lot of war.
There was fascism. There was Nazism.” CARLSON: “Right.” VANCE: “There was
communism. And the United States avoided it because people like Teddy Roosevelt actually
stood up for American workers, and said, ‘I'm not always going to defer to the interests of the
corporate world.’ I think what's going on right now in our economy is actually a similar level of
transformation. We're seeing a lot of people move—” CARLSON: “I agree.” VANCE: “--from
an industrial-based economy to an informationbased economy. And the question is what do we
do to protect the promise of the free market to ensure that it continues to be a tool to create
prosperity, so that we can have a healthy community, have a healthy society, or do we continue
to ignore the fact that a lot of people in America are hurting right now?” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
• Vance: “And When People Hurt, They Eventually Go To The Ballot Box, And
Eventually, Sometimes, People Do Things Even Worse Than Voting For Politicians
And Policies That You Don't Like. That's The Lesson Of History.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
• Vance: “And The Question Is Do We Heed The Lesson Of History? Do We Build A

Modern Conservative Coalition That Supports Working And Middle-Class
Families? It's Really, To Me, The Only Way Out Of This.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 1/9/19)
According To Washington Post Columnist Henry Olsen, Vance Spoke At A Conservative

Conference And “Sought To Distance The New Conservatism From The Old Movement’s
Dependence Upon Libertarian-Infused Thinking For Its Domestic Policies.” “President
Trump’s election shook conservatism to its core. Rejected by the voters of a party they had
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considered their natural home, movement conservatives are now engaged in a long overdue
conversation about principles and political strategy. A recent conference offered much solid
advice about both what should and should not be done. The event was billed as the start of a new
American ‘national conservatism.’ This title clearly tries to align the new thinking with the
burgeoning sense of nationalism one sees throughout the world, but much depends on what the
words mean. What constitutes the American nation? What should this conservatism seek to
conserve? The speakers differed a lot on how to answer the second question. Some speakers,
such as the Hudson Institute’s Chris DeMuth and the Faith and Reason Institute’s Mary
Eberstadt, sought to reintegrate priorities of the old conservatism — deregulation and social
conservatism — into the new. Others, such as ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author J.D. Vance, sought to
distance the new conservatism from the old movement’s dependence upon libertarian-infused
thinking for its domestic policies.” (Henry Olsen, Op-Ed, “Conservatives Are Still Grappling With The
Trump Era. And Many Haven’t Yet Learned Their Lesson.,” The Washington Post, 7/22/19)
Taxes
Capital Gains Tax Rate
In 2017, Vance Said He Supported Senator Mike Lee’s Proposal To Increase The Capital
Gains Tax Rate To That Of Ordinary Income. VANCE: “This is one area where I actually
think conservative Senator Mike Lee from Utah has had some really really interesting ideas. One
of tax reform proposals Senator Lee has advocated for is actually setting the capital taxation rate
at the same rate as they ordinary income rate. Because that’s what is really driving this
difference, right. It’s not ordinary income earners. It’s not salaried professionals.” (Brookings
Institution YouTube Channel, 9/6/17, 1:45:27-1:45:45)
In 2017, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) Wrote That A Capital Gains Tax Rate That Was Lower
Than The Labor Income Rate Gave Preferential Treatment To Wealthier Americans.
“Problem number two is that the federal government, as usual, has not kept up with the change,
and indeed, has only exacerbated the problem. For instance, Washington still taxes investment
income at much lower rates than labor income on the outdated logic that Americans’ dividends
and capital gains will be reinvested in the national economy. But what in 1981 may have
incentivized a virtuous economic cycle in 2017 may just be giving preferential treatment to rich
Americans for creating jobs in other countries.” (Sen. Mike Lee, Op-Ed, “How Congress And Trump Can
Reform Taxes To Put America First,” The Federalist, 1/23/17)
Lee Proposed Raising The Tax Rates On Capital Gains And Dividends. “It would also, of
course, reduce federal revenue. But lost revenue could be recouped, at least in part, by raising the
tax rates on capital gains and dividends. That’s step two. Taken together, these two changes
would transfer the workers’ share of the corporate tax onto American investors, who, again, are
the natural and disproportionate beneficiaries of globalization relative to American workers.”
(Sen. Mike Lee, Op-Ed, “How Congress And Trump Can Reform Taxes To Put America First,” The Federalist,
1/23/17)
Overseas Production
In 2020, Vance Called For Taxing Firms That Produce Goods Overseas And Using The
Proceeds To Subsidize Firms That Bring Their Manufacturing Back To The United States.
“Most of the interesting ideas on the Right—from Patrick Deneen’s critique of liberalism to
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Peter Thiel’s long efforts against globalization—unsurprisingly come from thinkers not subject
to the financial pressures of Conservatism, Inc. Though it’s still early, an anti-globalization
agenda has began to take shape. We should tax the labor arbitrage so many ‘U.S. firms’ depend
on, while subsidizing—as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has proposed—firms to move
some of their manufacturing capacity back to the United States.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy
Miscellaneous Increases
In 2021, Vance Said He Supports Higher Taxes For People Who Do Not Have Children.
VANCE: “I will go back to something I said earlier. We need to reward the things that we think
are good and punish the things that we think are bad. So you talk about tax policy. Let’s tax the
things that are bad and not tax the things that are good. If you are making $100,000, $400,000 a
year and you’ve got three kids you should pay a different lower tax rate than if you are making
the same amount of money and you don’t have any kids.” (Charlie Kirk YouTube Channel, 3/22/21, 40:28-21:00)
Tax Cuts
2017 Tax Bill
Health Care Reform Policies. “Vance is more scathing still when he discusses a broader
Republican party that he sees as intellectually ossified. It cleared the way for Trump, he argues,
by blindly pushing an agenda of Reaganesque trickle-down economics and engaging in
misplaced military adventures in the years before the real estate developer’s brash arrival. ‘I
wasn’t as critical of my party in 2016 as I was the person,’ he says. ‘But when I look at tax
reform, when I look at healthcare reform, I see Trump as the least worrisome part of the
Republican party’s problem, which is that we are basically living in the 1980s. We are constantly
trying to resurrect domestic policies from the 1980s.’” (Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance:
‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial Times, 2/2/18)
Safety Net. “Such as? ‘Let’s cut taxes for the wealthy! Let’s cut the social safety net! . . . The
fundamental thesis that underlined basic Republican policies in the early 1980s, which is right, is
that you had an economy which was simultaneously stagnating and experiencing high inflation. I
don’t think the primary problem facing the American economy right now is that. It is that the
opportunities that are out there require an adjustment in skills, an adjustment in training . . . And
if that’s the problem, I don’t necessarily see how unleashing tax cuts for the wealthy . . . ’ Vance
trails off as our food arrives. The tacos are small enough that I immediately order another.”
(Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance: ‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial
Times, 2/2/18)
Wasn’t Great.” VANCE: “When I think about the tax cut legislation which was ok, it wasn’t
terrible, but it wasn’t great. If I think about the health care legislation which I think was
genuinely a moral and political disaster and I am glad that it never passed.” (The American
Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 10:52-11:06)
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Bush-Era Tax Cuts

In 2016, Vance Criticized The Bush Tax Cuts For Not Creating Jobs. “What unites Trump’s
voters is a sense of alienation from the wealthy and powerful. People with Ivy League degrees
lord over our business and political institutions, yet zero graduates of my high school class
attended an Ivy League undergraduate college. People in my hometown voted for President
Reagan because he promised that tax cuts would bring higher wages and new jobs. It seemed he
was right, so we voted for the next Republican promising tax cuts and job creation, George W.
Bush. He wasn’t right.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump Fans Feel Betrayed By G.W. Bush,” Tulare Advance-
Register, 2/18/16)
Vance Has Criticized The Republican Party For Pushing Tax Cuts, Deregulation, And
Free Trade For Not Addressing A “Very Real Social Crisis That’s Going On In The White
Working Class.” VANCE: “The other side, I think, is that for many years, the Republican elites,
the part of the party that really drives policy has pushed a combination of tax cuts, deregulation,
free trade, those policies, whatever their merit as matters of good government, have not
addressed, I think, a very real social crisis that’s going on in the white working class.” (MSNBC’s
“All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/2/16)
Supply-Side Tax Cuts

Vance Claimed He Was Disinvited From Joining Jeb Bush’s Campaign Due To His
Opposition To Supply-Side Tax Cuts. “In hindsight, the group contained all kinds of
ideological fissures that would prevent it from exercising greater influence on national politics—
most notably on immigration, with hardliners and doves about equally represented. Though
intellectually enriching, it was also a bit awkward: I had, just weeks earlier, been invited to join
Jeb Bush’s then-promising presidential campaign on one day, and then uninvited the very next.
The problem? I had written in 2012 that an obsession with supply-side tax cuts was equal
measures politically stupid and morally unjust, and someone on the campaign had uncovered my
transgression.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
Federal Funding
Overall
In 2024, Vance Voted Nay On HR 2872, Which Appropriated Funds For FY 2024 Which
Prevented A Government Shutdown. (HR 2872, Passed (77 - 18), United States Senate, 1/18/24, Vance
Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This act provides continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies. The
act also extends several expiring programs and authorities, including several public health
programs.” (HR 2872)
• NOTE: “The CR provides funding through March 1, 2024.” (HR 2872)
• NOTE: “For most other federal agencies and programs, the CR provides funding through
March 8, 2024.” (HR 2872)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On HR 3746, The Fiscal Responsibility Act Of 2023. (HR 3746,
Passed (63 - 36), United States Senate, 6/1/23, Vance Voted Nay)
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• NOTE: “This act increases the federal debt limit, establishes new discretionary spending
limits, rescinds unobligated funds, expands work requirements for federal programs, and
modifies other requirements related to the federal budget process.” (HR 3746)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On HR 5860, FY 2024 Continuing Appropriations Act Which
Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government

shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2024 appropriations bills have not been
enacted when FY2024 begins on October 1, 2023.” (HR 5860)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On HR 6363, FY 2024 Continuing Appropriations Act Which
Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This act provides continuing FY2024 appropriations for federal agencies. The
act also extends several expiring programs and authorities, including programs authorized
by the 2018 farm bill and several public health programs” (HR 6363)
• NOTE: “The CR provides funding through January 19, 2024” (HR 6363)
• NOTE: “For most other federal agencies and programs, the CR provides funding through
February 2, 2024” (HR 6363)
National Defense Funding
In 2024, Vance Voted Nay On HR 815, The National Security Act Of 2024. (HR 815, Passed (70
- 29), United States Senate, 2/13/24, Vance Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
reimbursement of emergency treatment for veterans who are treated in a non-VA facility.
Specifically, the bill waives the requirement that a veteran must have received VA care
within the 24-month period preceding the furnishing of emergency treatment if the
veteran receives such emergency treatment within the 60-day period following their
enrollment in the VA health care system.” (HR 815)
• NOTE: “the bill extends through December 28, 2031.” (HR 815)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On S 2226, The FY 2024 NDAA. (HR 3746, Passed (86 - 11), United
States Senate, 7/27/23, Vance Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This bill authorizes FY2024 appropriations and sets forth policies for
Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, the
national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Maritime
Administration, as well as the Department of State and the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA). It also authorizes appropriations for the Defense Nuclear Safety Board and the
Naval Petroleum Reserves, and sets policy for several other agencies, including the
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Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The bill authorizes appropriations, but it does
not provide budget authority, which is provided by appropriations legislation.” (S 2226)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On HR 2670, The FY 2024 NDAA. (HR 2670, Passed (87 - 13), United
States Senate, 12/13/23, Vance Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This bill authorizes FY2024 appropriations and sets forth policies for
Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, military construction, the
national security programs of the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Maritime
Administration. It also authorizes appropriations for the Defense Nuclear Safety Board
and the Naval Petroleum Reserves. The bill authorizes appropriations but it does not
provide budget authority, which is provided by appropriations legislation.” (HR 2670)
• NOTE: “Sec. 574 extends the Troop-to-Teachers program through July 1, 2027.” (HR
2670)
Budget Cuts
In 2017, Vance Criticized GOP-Led Budget Cuts, Claiming The Political Calculus “Hasn't
Actually Been Especially Thoughtful” And Were Evidence That Trump And Congress Had
Not Focused On “Core Constituencies.” CABRERA: “So it's not just the health care issue.
President Trump's budget proposes massive cuts to food stamps. J.D. of the top ten states with
the largest percentage of people on food stamps, seven of them voted for Trump. What is the
Trump administration putting on (INAUDIBLE) on his proposed budget?” VANCE: “Well, my
guess is that the political calculus hasn't actually been especially thoughtful (ph). My guess here
is that what's effectively happened is that the Trump administration has outsourced domestic
policy to Congress and hasn't really focused on some of its core constituencies and hasn't really
thought very seriously about the fact that a lot of what's being proposed is, one, very contrary to
what Donald Trump promised during the campaign, and more importantly, is actually contrary to
what a lot of his core voters want in this very moment. And republicans have to deal with that
real contradiction that exists in their constituency. You have very ideological folks who maybe
are excited about tackling some of these government programs. And you have the base of
working in middle class Republican voters who actually like some of these programs, or even if
they don't like them, they don't want them completely taken away. So, that calculus needs to be
made within the White House. And if it is not, I do think the Republicans across the board are
going to pay a pretty heavy political price.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
In 2017, Vance Said That A “Fundamental Problem That Conservatives Have To Accept Is
That Sometimes You Have To Spend Money To Solve Social Problems.” VANCE: “The
fundamental hill we have to get over, the fundamental problem that conservatives have to accept
is that sometimes you have to spend money to solve social problems. Not always. Does that
mean that government is always the answer? Certainly, it doesn’t.” (Brookings Institution YouTube
Channel, 9/6/17, 1:36:30-1:37:05)
Vance: “I Think The Sort Of Baseline Constant Refusal To Accept That Sometimes You
Have To Spend Money Is At The Core Of Our Real Problem. And If We Can Get Past
That, I Actually Think There Might Be Some Good Ideas Coming Out And Hopefully I
Can Be A Part Of That.” (Brookings Institution YouTube Channel, 9/6/17, 1:36:30-1:37:05)
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2011 Ryan Budget

In April 2011, Vance Criticized The Anticipated Anger At The Ryan Budget Plan, Which
Trimmed Nearly $4 Trillion From The 10-Year Budget. “Paul Ryan’s budget plan could spur
an intelligent conversation on spending. But what we’ll probably hear from the left are the same
scare tactics and budget cut horror stories. Tomorrow, Rep. Paul Ryan will release his highly
anticipated budget plan. Early reports suggest that along with serious changes to Social Security
and Medicare, the budget will trim nearly $4 trillion from the 10-year budget deficit. I don’t
know how the Left will react, but I’m confident that they’ll overreact. And I’m hoping that
we’ve had during my lifetime.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
Vance Wrote That Budget Cuts Were Coming Due To The Welfare System Depending On
A Rapidly Growing Population. “Of all the things I can’t stand about politics, the tendency to
emotionalize a difficult topic is probably the worst. Budget cuts hurt—just ask our friends in the
United Kingdom. But budget cuts are coming, because our entire welfare system depends on a
false premise: a rapidly growing population. It’s a pretty simple concept: the taxes from young
workers support the benefits of elderly dependents, so the system works fine so long as the
young significantly outnumber the old. Our system is stressed because the number of retirees is
growing at a faster pace than the number of workers. And America is actually relatively lucky;
most countries in Western Europe face a far more serious population problem than we do.” (JD
• Vance: “Without Serious Budget Cuts, America Will Transfer Trillions Of Dollars
From The Yet To Be Born To The Living. Every Dollar Spent Is A Dollar That
Must Be Taxed, And The Left Seems Oblivious To The Fact That The Tax Burden Of
Today’s Profligacy Will Fall Hardest On Future Citizens. How’s That For Wealth
Redistribution?” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
Although Vance Wrote Was, “Not One Of Those Conservatives Who Shudders At Any
Mention Of Tax Increases,” He Opposed Tax Increases To Fill The Budget Gap. “The other
answer, of course, is to raise taxes on people now. That’s not a great idea, as economists from
across the political spectrum argue that raising taxes in the midst of a recession is bad for
growth, and growth is the one thing that can close the budget gap faster than entitlement reform.
More importantly, increased revenue will only take us so far—with a projected deficit of well
over $1 trillion next year, a return to pre-Bush era tax rates would fill, at best, about 10 percent
of our current fiscal hole. I am not one of those conservatives who shudders at any mention of
tax increases, but like every thoughtful American, I realize that soaking the rich is a painfully
inadequate solution.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “What's At Stake In Ryan's Budget,” FrumForum, 4/5/11)
• Vance: “The Way Forward Is As Obvious As It Is Politically Difficult: Streamline
The Tax Code, Reform Current Entitlements And Avoid Enacting New Ones.” (JD
• Vance Said If Democrats “Gave A Damn About Inequality In This Country, They’d
Be Leading The Charge For Budget Cuts Instead Of Opposing Them.” “And the
whole time, I’ll be thinking to myself: if these people gave a damn about inequality in
this country, they’d be leading the charge for budget cuts instead of opposing them.” (JD
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Subsidies
In A 2011 Op-Ed On Ethanol Subsidies, Vance Wrote That “Tom Coburn Was The Fiscal
Conservative While Grover Norquist Was A Fiscal Phony.” “During the debate over ending
ethanol subsidies, Tom Coburn was the fiscal conservative while Grover Norquist was a fiscal
phony.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Norquist Loses In Ethanol Subsidy Fight,” FrumForum, 6/17/11)
Vance Criticized Norquist For Opposing Ending Ethanol Subsidies. “The media largely
framed the debate over ethanol subsidies between Senator Tom Coburn and Americans for Tax
Reform president Grover Norquist as a contrast between two approaches to deficit reduction:
Coburn’s pragmatic willingness to raise more revenue on the one hand, and Norquist’s
ideologically-rigid opposition to tax increases on the other. That’s one way to look at it. But
there’s a better way to look at it: Tom Coburn is the ideologically-consistent conservative, and
Grover Norquist is a fiscal phony. It’s worth remembering exactly what ethanol subsidies are. As
‘tax expenditures’ they redirect money from the US Treasury to a particular group -- in this case
corn farmers -- to provide financial incentives for that group to engage in a certain behavior.” (JD
Vance: “As Grover Norquist Is Undoubtedly Aware, Taxpayer Dollars Don’t Grow On
Trees. The Money That Pays For Ethanol Subsidies Is Confiscated From The American
Public At Large. So While The Farm Lobby Benefits From The Expenditures, The Rest Of
Us In The Form Of Higher Taxes Or Increased Deficit Spending.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Norquist
Loses In Ethanol Subsidy Fight,” FrumForum, 6/17/11)
Vance: “To Call The End Of These Subsidies -- A Government Transfer Program -- A Tax
Increase Is Possibly The Most Un-Conservative Argument That I Have Ever Heard.” (JD
Labor
Right-To-Work Laws
In 2020, Vance Said “I Am Not A Big Fan Of Right-To-Work Laws.” VANCE: “The
primary driver of the decline of private sector union is not Right-To-Work laws, I am not a big
fan of Right-To-Work laws.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20,
26:26-26:33)
Unions
In 2020, Vance Criticized Republican Donors For Pushing Republicans To Denounce
Unions Despite Their Beneficial Effects. “Take another example: we have known for some
time that members of unions are less likely to drink and more likely to maintain their familial
commitments. We have also learned that these benefits appear independent of the (obviously
important) wage benefits of union membership. Social capital, and the mediating institutions that
cultivate it, really are useful. But in virtually every major campaign of recent decades, the donors
have demanded the denouncement of unions and their pernicious commercial effects. And so
denounce them we have.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
In 2020, Vance Attached His Name To A Report From American Compass Warning That
Conservatives Had Become “Overly Solicitous Of Business” And Calling For Reforms To
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Strengthen Labor Unions. “AMERICAN CONSERVATIVES rightly place economic freedom

and limited government among our dearest values. The defense of markets, though, has at times
made us overly solicitous of businesses. As we advocate for owners and managers in their
pursuit of profit, and celebrate the enormous benefits their efforts can generate for us all, we
must accord the same respect to the concerns of workers and ensure that they, too, have a seat at
the table. In a well-functioning and competitive market, participants meet as equals able to
advance their interests through mutually beneficial relationships. Institutions of organized labor
have traditionally been the mechanism by which workers take collective action and gain
representation and bargaining power in the private sector. Strong worker representation can
make America stronger. Unfortunately, our nation’s Great Depression–era labor laws no longer
provide an effective framework, many unions have become unresponsive to workers’ needs and
some outright corrupt, and membership has fallen to just 6% of the private-sector workforce.
Rather than cheer the demise of a once-valuable institution, conservatives should seek reform
and reinvigoration of the laws that govern organizing and collective bargaining…” (“A Seat At The
Table,” American Compass, 9/20)
Corporate Boards. “The standard partisan arguments over labor have tended to accept our
nation’s current legal framework as the only one, and thus to present its expansion or
contraction as the only options. Entirely different arrangements deserve consideration. In parts
of Europe, for instance, ‘right-to-work’ is the norm, but so is sectoral bargaining. On the one
hand, labor and management in Germany often partner on ‘works councils,’ which are illegal in
the United States and opposed by American labor unions. On the other hand, such
‘codetermination’ can also extend to labor holding seats on corporate boards, which American
unions support but shareholders resist. In some places, unions manage functions like
unemployment insurance and job training that we take for granted as government
responsibilities. In Canada, collective bargaining offers the parties autonomy to depart from
government mandates in regulating their own workplaces. Conservatives should be willing to
consider all these approaches, and others besides.” (“A Seat At The Table,” American Compass, 9/20)
Rather Than At A Single Employer. “Sectoral bargaining—also known as multiemployer,
industrywide, or broadbased bargaining—is a form of collective bargaining that provides
contract coverage and sets compensation floors for most workers in a particular occupation,
industry, or region. While broadbased bargaining can—and sometimes does—occur in the
United States, current labor laws emphasize enterprise-based bargaining, in which unions
negotiate with individual employers on behalf of a group of workers at a particular worksite.
For example, a union might negotiate with a supermarket chain on behalf of workers at a
particular store or with a building service company on behalf of janitors in a specific building.
With sectoral bargaining, collectively bargained standards extend to every grocery store worker
or janitor in the region.” (David Madland and Malkie Wall, “What Is Sectoral Bargaining?,” Center for
American Progress, 3/2/20)
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Work Hours And Disciplinary Rules. “A works council is a committee, common at German
factories, in which white-collar and blue-collar workers elect representatives who establish
policies on issues like work hours, vacations and standards for firing workers.” (Steven
Greenhouse, “Labor Regroups In South After VW Vote,” The New York Times, 2/16/14)
Miscellaneous
Commentary On Corporations
In 2019, Vance Defended Tucker Carlson After Carlson Argued Against A Conservatism
That “Consistently Prizes Commercial Interests Above Those Of Everyone Else.” “Tucker
Carlson’s monologue heard round the world is interesting on its own terms. In it, he argues
against a conservatism that consistently prizes commercial interests above those of everyone
else. I encourage you to watch or read it in full. Yet the response on the right is as interesting as
Carlson’s monologue itself, for it reveals a discomfort among some conservatives for balancing
the tensions that exist in our coalition and in our ideology. There is, by many on the right, an
effort to sing the praises of market capitalism without acknowledging the tensions between our
pro-market principles and everything else.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National
Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Also Criticized Ben Shapiro For Defending “Supply And Demand Economics.” “I
respect Ben Shapiro a great deal, but I found this paragraph in his response to Carlson curious:
Supply and demand economics has powered most of the world’s human beings out of extreme
poverty, and led to the richest society in human history. It has allowed us to live longer, in bigger
houses, in more comfort. It has meant fewer dead children and more living parents. If we’ve
blown that advantage, that’s our own fault. Traditional conservatives recognized that the role of
economics is to provide prosperity — to raise the GDP. The role of a social fabric and a value
system is to provide meaning.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Pointed To The Pharmaceutical Industry And The Explosion Of Opioids And Said
That In Some Cases “You Need Some Government Intervention.” “Some economic
libertarians might say that these problems are the consequence of bad individual choices, and I
wouldn’t entirely disagree. I grew up in a family plagued by addiction, and I saw some bad
choices. Yet bad choices simply aren’t enough to explain the crisis — people have always made
bad choices, and the familial, neighborhood, and economic contexts in which they live can
exacerbate or improve them. Others might admit that it’s not all bad choices, that bad policy
plays a role, but oddly the bad policy they point to is almost always the negative incentives of
the welfare state. Again, they have a point — our welfare state is far from perfect, especially
when it comes to encouraging work and family formation — but there are many other policies
at play here. To keep the focus on the opioid epidemic, the Los Angeles Times’ reporting on the
role of the pharmaceutical industry is both excellent and disturbing. It chronicles the ways in
which some companies gamed our regulatory system to obtain approval and patent protection
for highly addictive drugs. Those companies then knowingly lied about the safety of those drugs
to doctors and patients. Some commentators have framed their problem with Tucker’s argument
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as promoting “government intervention’ when that same intervention is the problem. But if you
want to protect a community from drugs that can take hold of a person’s mind and destroy
whole neighborhoods soon thereafter, you need some government intervention.” (J.D. Vance, Op-
Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
Vance Wrote That Corporate Interests Do Not Always Align With Civil Society’s
Interests. “Of course, the recognition that corporate interests might not always align with civil
society’s interests comes from the patron saint of capitalism, Adam Smith. We simply must
develop the intellectual ability to understand the way in which law and policy drive outcomes in
our society besides creating bad incentives for poor people. Sometimes they create bad
incentives for the rich. Sometimes they allow the incentives that already exist to run roughshod
over our communities and families. The market, as Smith understood, is merely a tool — a
powerful tool, yes. But if we care about the flourishing of our society, and if we value ends
besides a larger GDP, then we have to do the difficult work of balancing the competing
demands of our values. Instead, many of our intellectuals simply pretend there is no competition
— that what is good for markets is good for the rest of our nation. This is a recipe for boring
thinking and bad policy.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The Health Of Nations,” National Review, 1/7/19)
In 2018, Vance Criticized Local Governments For Seeking To “Effectively Bribe”
Companies Like Amazon To Relocate There. “One of the things I have not been excited about
is the desire from a lot of folks to effectively bribe companies to relocate to their areas as
opposed to creating something of real value that is home grown. In Columbus, Ohio (like
Indianapolis), for example, they’re one of the finalists for Amazon HQ2. ‘I understand 100%
why the individual business and civic leaders want to get Amazon in their city, but at the same
time it would be great if they spent as many resources trying to foster and create the next
Amazon. Columbus is doing a lot of great things to attract and retain and build up the
entrepreneurial ecosystem. I’d love to see more of that and a little less of spending money to
convince Amazon to relocate.” (Thom Schuman, “Words Of Wisdom,” BizVoice, 09/18)
AppHarvest – A Company In Which Vance Invested – Accepted $2.5 Million In Tax
Incentives From The State Of Kentucky In 2017. “AppHarvest, financed in part by an
investment group co-managed by ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author J.D. Vance, has experienced
significant delays since it was first approved for state tax incentives totaling $2.5 million in
February 2017. Company officials said at the time that construction of a 2 million square-foot
greenhouse in Pikeville would begin in June of that year. ‘It's very difficult, it's very difficult, but
we're charging every day,’ Jonathan Webb, founder and chief executive officer at AppHarvest,
told a crowded gymnasium Monday at Shelby Valley.” (Will Wright, “AppHarvest Launches High-Tech
Agriculture Class In Pike County. Still No Word On Jobs.,” Lexington Herald Leader, 9/17/18)
Big Tech
In 2021, Vance Tweeted That Establishment Republicans’ “Apologies For Our Oligarchy”
Should Include A Disclaimer That “Big Tech Pays My Salary” Despite Vance’s Salary At
Narya Being Partially Paid For By Two Directors At Facebook And The Former CEO Of
Google. “Delicate dance: Vance made his name as an author, but he's made his career as a
venture capitalist, backed by many of the coastal billionaires he now plans to rhetorically run
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against. Earlier this week Vance tweeted: ‘Establishment Republican apologies for our oligarchy
should always come with the following disclaimer: ‘Big Tech pays my salary.’’ Yet Vance's
salary, as a partner with Narya, has literally been paid, at least in part, by two directors at
Facebook and the former CEO of Google.” (Dan Primack, “J.D. Vance Tells Associates He Plans To Run
For Senate In Ohio,” Axios, 4/15/21)
In 2021, Vance Accused The Left And Democrats Of Accommodating Big Tech Monopolies
And Other Corporations Because “They Recognize That Corporate Power Is Being Used
Against Their Enemies, In This Case President Donald Trump And His Voters.”
INGRAHAM: “Rush Limbaugh reshaped the public square by forging a path for conservative
media. But now that square is being increasingly squeezed by tech oligarchs. You'd think the
classical left would be upset about corporate monopolies, they used to be, but they aren't. So why
is that? Of course, while former President Trump is banned from platforms like Facebook and
Twitter, big tech hasn't lifted a finger to prevent the CCP from spreading anti-American lies.
Someone who has thought a lot about this is J.D. Vance, author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ and he joins
me now. J.D., why do you think the modern left is suddenly OK with the concentration of power
in a few corporate entities? J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGY’: “I think
unfortunately it's just very cynical. They realize that the big tech oligarchs are actually on their
side, and where they used to complain about corporate power, now they recognize that corporate
power is being used against their enemies, in this case President Donald Trump and his voters.
And so I think they're more than willing to cozy up to those people if it gives them more power,
which it does is this case, because those companies really control the public square in this
country.” (Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
Vance: “They're More Than Willing To Cozy Up To Those People If It Gives Them More
Power, Which It Does Is This Case, Because Those Companies Really Control The Public
Square In This Country.” (Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
Vance Called For Conservatives To Break With Corporations, Saying “We Have To
Recognize That They’re Not Our Friends Anymore.” “VANCE: “I think at a fundamental
level what’s going on right now is that big corporations in America are increasingly more
invested in the Chinese government than they are in their own country. And what that means for
us as conservatives is we’ve actually got to do something about this. I think we’ve gotten so used
to big business, to corporations being on the side of the right, because of China, because of the
woke left, they’re increasingly on the side of the left. And we have to do something about it. We
have to recognize that they’re not our friends anymore, and that should inform the way that we
think about public policy. It’s a really big departure, but I think it’s an important thing for us to
recognize so we can move forward and actually solve these problems and make it possible for
people to express themselves and be conservatives without fear of getting fired or censored.” (Fox
News’ “Ingraham Angle,” 2/17/21)
IRS
In November 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Accusing The Biden Administration And The
IRS For “Harassing Conservative Groups” And Weaponizing The Government. (Vance
Profile, Twitter, 11/16/23)
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HEALTHCARE
Obamacare
President Trump, Claiming He Doesn’t “Love The Plan At All.” LEMON: “The majority of
the people who are on Obamacare are from red districts and many of them were supporters. So,
you say that this new replacement plan is risky for them. You don't like this plan.” VANCE:
“No, I don't love the plan at all, in fact. We have to keep in mind, right, that there's both a short-
term political answer to this question and I think a long-term political and more substantive
question about who is helped and who is hurt by this repeal and replace plan. I mean, I think that
folks may, and when I say congressmen and congresswomen may actually benefit from the
repeal. Because that means they keep the campaign promise, right. These folks have running on
repealing and replacing Obamacare for eight years now. So they may get a shortterm jolt when
they actually do it. The problem is that a lot of the benefits that exist in Obamacare just generally
speaking people having health insurance, that's popular. And if you actually move forward with
this particular repeal and replace package, it clearly is going to leave a few Americans uninsured
and it's probably going to continue to raise premiums for a lot of the folks who have coverage
right now.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
For The Republicans Who Vote For It.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
ObamaCare Replacement Bill Are The Ones Who Voted For Donald Trump. VANCE: “So
we don't have the CBO projection of this most recent bill but we do have a CBO projection for
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the bill on which the most recent bill was modeled. And if you look at that projection the
evidence suggest that the people who will lose out most in that American Health Care Act are a
lot of the folks who voted for Donald Trump, working class and lower middle class voters, older
voters. … But if you think of the political problem, you know, folks have always asked, what is
it that's going to drive Donald Trump voters away from them while loosing their health care may
actually be the answer to that question. And unfortunately the Republicans, who I think have
been very smart, and frankly correct in the fact that Obamacare hasn't solved a lot of the core
problems of the American health care market, now own the problem. They're going to learn very
quickly unless they craft a better bill that it's not just enough to critique the bill that has failed in
the past, you have to actually offer a better alternative, and we're going to see if the Senate is
able to actually put forward the alternative.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 5/4/17)
Health Care.” VANCE: “Those folks, they very well see their deductibles go up, their
premiums go up. And as we've been talking about, this is not just a policy problem, there's
obviously a significant issue of folks potentially loosing access to their health care.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 5/4/17)
Their Health Care.” CABRERA: “Here are the numbers, 1.3 million Kentuckians are on
Medicaid today. About a third are covered by that Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. This is
Trump country. How worried are these folks about the GOP health care plan? VANCE: “Well, I
think they are especially worried, and what's so interesting is when you talk to folks back home,
even though Russia and Comey and all of these scandals dominate the news, they dominate
twitter, they dominate a lot of what journalists are talking about, the things I hear most
commonly from folks back home, those who voted for Hillary Clinton and those who voted for
Donald Trump, is that they're most worried about losing the Medicaid expansion and most
worried about losing their health care. But it is interesting actually to sort of step outside of my
own twitter bubble when people were so obsessed with what's going on with the Russiagate, so
called, and actually talked to people and realized that the thing that may be most politically
damaging for the president right now is if the AHCA passes in its present form. That's the thing
that I thing is most politically destructive for him potentially if it ends up passing a month
(INAUDIBLE) voters.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
Mechanism.” VANCE: “I think it definitely could have an impact on mid-terms. Of course,
what we have to remember is that this is just a bill that hasn't yet actually passed and there's a
question about whether you can address some of the core deficiencies in the bill. I think you
could, it would require pretty significant amendments, but I do think you could fix the bill. And
of course if you fix the bill in such a way that millions of people aren't losing health coverage
either through Medicaid or through another mechanism, then I think it is not going to be quite as
politically destructive.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 5/28/17)
Replace ObamaCare Due To Its Medicaid Cuts And Tax Cuts. “Virtually as he spoke,
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Senate Republicans in Washington released their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. Here’s
an edited version of the conversation with Vance: Q: You said Medicaid cuts under
consideration in the American Health Care Act could be disastrous for Ohio. How should
Republican Ohio Sen. Rob Portman vote? A: With the caveat I haven’t seen the Senate version
of the bill, if it’s exactly like the House version, I would say he should vote against it. Two big
issues I saw with the AHCA bill as it was structured in the House were, first, that it cuts
Medicaid without any alternatives, and, second, it seems to prioritize tax cuts, which may be
good or bad, but which don’t seem to be the province of a health-care bill.” (Steven Litt, “‘Hillbilly
A Health Bill And Use It To Cut Taxes.” “Q: Why does the AHCA make such an emphasis on
cutting taxes? A: I don’t understand why that is such a focus of the House bill. If you want to cut
taxes, have a tax reform bill. Don’t have a health bill and use it to cut taxes.” (Steven Litt, “‘Hillbilly

Gains, Dividend, Interest, And Wage Income For Higher-Income Earners. “And we’re not
talking about a small amount of money. It works out to approximately $5,000 worth of tax cuts
per household. Except most households aren’t going to see their taxes cut at all because of which
taxes the AHCA cuts. It eliminates a 3.8 percent tax that applied to capital gains, dividend, and
interest income for families with $250,000 or more in income ($125,000 for singles). It
eliminates a 0.9 percent tax on wage income in excess of $250,000 a year ($200,000 for
unmarried people). It eliminates taxes on health insurance companies, pharmaceutical
companies, and medical device manufacturers.” (Matthew Yglesias, “Republicans’ Health Bill Takes $600
Billion Out Of Health Care To Cut Taxes For The Rich,” Vox, 5/4/17)
Been A Shared Republican Vision For What The Replacement Is Going To Look Like.”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think one of the things it taught us is that there has never been a shared
republican vision for what the replacement is going to look like. It's not just enough to say we're
going to undo Obamacare. You also have to replace it with something. And the worry that I have
as a republican is that this same issue is going to crop up in tax reform, it's going to pop up in a
number of other substantive areas of policy where it's not just enough to say you're against
something. You also have to be for something and to be for something, you really need
presidential leadership. You really need the Congress to actually have a shared vision of what's
happening. And what this particular battle teaches us is that there isn't a great amount of
disagreement within the republican tent about what actually needs to happen.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 7/18/17)
Leaving A Situation Where “Millions Will Be Unable To Pay For Basic Health Care.”
“These sentiments conflict with recent iterations of Republican health care reform. The ‘full
repeal’ bill is nothing of the sort -- it preserves the regulatory structure of Obamacare, but
withdraws its supports for the poor. The House version of replacement would transfer many from
Medicaid to the private market, but it doesn't ensure that those transferred can meaningfully
purchase care in that market. The Senate bill offers a bit more to the needy, but still leaves many
unable to pay for basic services. In the rosiest projections of each version, millions will be
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unable to pay for basic health care.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health Care,” The New York
Times, 7/21/17)

His Political Heirs.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
Contradictions” Like Arguing That “A Bill That Cuts Subsidies For The Poor Somehow
Makes Care More Accessible.” “But if Republicans fail to accept some baseline provision of
care, we'll find ourselves mired in internal contradictions -- arguing, for instance, that a bill that
cuts subsidies for the poor somehow makes care more accessible.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix
For Health Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
Vance: “We'll Rail Against The Way The Government Has Destroyed Our Health Care
Market In One Breath And Resist The Support Offered To The Poor And Middle Class
To Navigate This Brokenness With The Other. This Is Not Conservative; It Is
Incoherence Masquerading As Ideological Purity.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “A G.O.P. Fix For Health
Care,” The New York Times, 7/21/17)
Disaster” And Said he Was “Glad That It Never Passed.” VANCE: “When I think about the
tax cut legislation which was ok, it wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great. If I think about the health
care legislation which I think was genuinely a moral and political disaster and I am glad that it
never passed.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 10:52-11:06)
“Small Government, Everyone-Is-On-Their-Own Approach To The Welfare State.”
MARA LIASSON: “But despite those Republican tensions, J.D. Vance says, it will be hard for
the president and his party to continue to argue that popular programs like Obamacare should be
eliminated lock, stock and barrel.” JD VANCE: “I think the appetite for small government,
everyone-is-on-their-own approach to the welfare state - frankly, it was always pretty small, and
it's going to be even smaller, I think, over the next couple of
years.” (NPR’s “Morning Edition,” 4/21/20)
In The 2018 Midterm Elections. VANCE: “So, one of the takeaways is that Republicans are
continuing to become the middle and working class party, and Democrats are more and more
popular among wealthy Suburbanites. The second takeaway is that the single most unpopular
piece of Republican legislation in the past couple of years wasn't Donald Trump's brainchild, and
if you trust the media reports, Donald Trump wasn't even a huge fan of it, and that was the
healthcare bill that came out of the House Republican leadership. And in - in poll after poll and
person after person that I've talked to, you know, I'm good friends with Mike DeWine who
luckily eked out a win in the Ohio Governor's race, the - the consistent theme is that that
Republican healthcare bill actually put a little bit of a millstone around Republicans running in
the industrial Midwest. It was not a popular piece of legislation. And, in some ways, I think it's
almost better that it didn't pass and that it didn't go into effect causing even more damage down
the road.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 11/23/18)
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COVID-19
In 2023, Vance Voted Yea On HJR 7, Which Ended The Covid-19 Pandemic National
Emergency Declaration. (HJR 7, Passed (68 - 23), United States Senate, 3/29/23, Vance Voted Yea)
• NOTE: “This joint resolution terminates the national emergency concerning COVID-19
declared by the President on March 13, 2020.” (HJR 7)
In 2023, Vance Voted Nay On HR 3935, Which Removed Mask Mandates For The FAA
And Increased The Airline Pilot Retirement Age. (HR 3935, Passed (77 - 19), United States Senate,
9/26/23, Vance Voted Nay)
• NOTE: “This bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) through
FY2028, including activities and programs related to airport planning and development,
facilities and equipment, and operations. The National Transportation Safety Board is
also reauthorized through FY2028.” (HR 3935)
• NOTE: “prohibits the FAA from requiring mask wearing or COVID-19 vaccines for
passengers, air carrier employees, or FAA employees” (HR 3935)
• NOTE: “raises the commercial airline pilot retirement age to 67 (currently 65)” (HR 3935)
ENVIRONMENT
Climate Change – Commentary
In 2020, Vance Said We “Have A Climate Problem In Our Society, One Largely Caused
Now By Unrestrained Emissions In China.” VANCE: “Think about energy. We have of
course have a climate problem in our society, one largely caused now by unrestrained emissions
in China. Part of the reason we have that problem is because we are not generating energy much
cleaner than we used to 30 or 40 years. In fact the biggest improvement in emissions is solar
energy which can provide a substantial amount of our power but can’t provide anything like 50
percent of our power, definitely not 100 percent of our power.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And
Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20, 19:20-20:00)
In 2017, Vance Claimed “Folks Who Are Involved In The Coal Industry” Were “Very
Realistic” That “A Lot Of Those Jobs Are Not Coming Back.” VANCE: “What I find so
amazing about this conversation is that when you talk to folks who are involved in the coal
industry, folks who live in these areas, they're very realistic about the fact that a lot of those jobs
are not coming back. And I think that what that shows is that we really have to be asking
ourselves, what's the next generation of American jobs? What are people going to be doing 10,
20, 30 years down the road. And it's so interesting to me how much of the national conversation
is driven by, can we bring coal miners back to work?” BERMAN: “Yes.” VANCE: “And when
you talk to folks on the ground, they're actually a lot more realistic about what the economy is
going to be looking like in a decade or two.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 6/2/17)
In 2020, Vance Said Natural Gas Was “An Improvement Over Dirtier Forms Of Power
But Isn’t Exactly The Sort Of Thing That Is Going To Take Us To A Clean Energy
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Future.” VANCE: “And through our increasing reliance on natural gas which of course is an
improvement over dirtier forms of power but isn’t exactly the sort of thing that is going to take
us to a clean energy future.” (Ohio State Center For Ethics And Human Values YouTube Channel, 2/10/20, 19:20-20:00)
In 2017, Vance Claimed It’s “Really Tough To Argue” The Trump Administration’s
Withdrawal From The Paris Climate Agreement Would “Bring A Lot Of People Back To
Work.” HARLOW: “J.D., the president promised coal miners, you're going to go back to work.
You're born in Kentucky, you grew up in Ohio, you know these towns, you know these people.
We've seen it on the ground. Are these people en mass going to go back to work because the
president pulled out of the Paris climate agreement?” VANCE: “Well, no, because the Paris
climate agreement, of course, was nonbinding. And so a lot of the commitments that the United
States made, even if you think that the United States shouldn't have made those commitments,
they were effectively voluntary, and so it's really tough to argue that pulling out of that accord is
going to bring a lot of people back to work.” (CNN’s “CNN Newsroom,” 6/2/17)
Vance: “People Are Going To Be Looking Around And Saying, Is My Life Actually Getting
Better? Are These Things Actually Improving? And Unfortunately, I Don't Think Pulling
Out Of The Paris Accord Does Much Good.” VANCE: “Well, Chris, you made a really
important point, which is that a majority of the public does support the deal, but the strength of
that support is actually pretty weak, so it's not a high priority issue, and consequently, I think the
politics are pretty ambivalent here for the president. But, the most important is, actually, the one
that you made just there, is you got to actually bring jobs back to these communities and that
implicates productivity. That implicates our education system. It, frankly, implicates issues that
are much more difficult and much more complex than just pulling out of the Paris Climate
Accords. And so, I think while the president may get a short-term, very minor political advantage
with his core base of supporters, at a fundamental level over the long term, people are going to
be looking around and saying, is my life actually getting better? Are these things actually
improving? And unfortunately, I don't think pulling out of the Parris Accord does much good.
And I don't think that much of what we've seen so far in the first 120 days does much good. This
is a really long term question that the president has to answer better.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 6/2/17)
EDUCATION
School Choice
Vouchers
In 2014, Vance Wrote That Vouchers Might Be Useful For Younger Children And Less
Helpful For High-School Aged Children. “Conservatives have supported vouchers for all the
right reasons: Vouchers give kids the opportunity to escape a failing school, they give parents a
choice, and they force educators to compete. Yet it needs to be said that vouchers grow less
effective as children age. Skills beget skills, and knowledge begets knowledge: Heckman’s
research shows that a good preschool produces significantly better results for children than does
a good high school. The most effective voucher programs will target our youngest kids, not those
nearing adulthood.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “The College Trap,” National Review, 1/9/14)
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In 2021, Ohio Republicans Introduced Legislation To Make All Ohio K-12 Students
Eligible For Vouchers. “Any Ohio kid would be eligible for a voucher to cover part of the cost
of their private school tuition if a bill introduced by House Republicans becomes law. ‘The intent
of this bill is if you think it’s a better option to look at alternative education for your children,
you would have state funding available to pursue that goal,’ bill sponsor Rep. Riordan McClain,
R-Upper Sandusky, said. It's called the backpack method of school funding because the money
follows the student wherever he or she goes. And Ohio would be just the second state to adopt a
universal voucher program if House Bill 290 became law. West Virginia passed a similar
program in March. It's scheduled to start in the fall of 2022 and has the potential to apply to
children who currently attend private schools later down the road.” (Anna Staver, “Ohio Republicans
Want To Make Every K-12 Student Eligible For A School Voucher,” The Columbus Dispatch, 5/6/21)
In 2016, Vance Praised Charter Schools And Vouchers. “This would require a conservative
agenda that appealed to black Americans. Recent Pew polls suggest that black Americans care
especially about residential segregation and access to good schools. Conservatives have potential
answers for each of these problems. Urban ghettos, created by racist housing policy and sustained
by bizarre administration of federal housing programs, constitute one of the few entrenched
problems amenable to policy interventions. The administration of the federal Section 8 program,
for instance, often ignores the importance of eradicating government-created concentrated
poverty. Conservative ideas on vouchers and charter schools have delivered better, if still
imperfect, schools — often with active participation from local (and progressive) school
leaders.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Two Underclasses,” National Review, 8/29/16)
IMMIGRATION, PUBLIC SAFETY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Immigration
Border Wall
In 2016, Vance Said Problems In His Community Were “Not Going To Be Solved By A
Mexican Border Wall Or Better Trade Deals With China.” “Do you think Trump offers
something that's valuable to these voters because he speaks their language? My view is that
Trump is projecting a very complex problem on a simple villain. Without some recognition that
some of these problems in our community are not the fault of other people - they're not going to
be solved by a Mexican border wall or better trade deals with China - without some recognition
along those lines, I don't believe these problems are ever truly going to get better.” (Michael
Lindenberger, “A Proverbial Middle Finger,” Dallas Morning News, 9/25/16)
• Vance In 2016: “I Don’t Think If You Build A Great Mexican Wall, All Of A
Sudden All Of These Steel Mill Jobs Are Going To Come Back To Southern Ohio.”
(Yahoo YouTube Channel, 9/15/16, 9:00-9:10)
Border Crisis – Notable Comments

“Cheap Foreign Labor” Resulted In The Border Crisis. “I've thought of this moment
frequently, as our southern border has exploded into crisis. We're a year into the COVID-19
pandemic, with tens of millions of people unemployed. Countless businesses have been
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destroyed. Despite the enormous challenges facing America's working class, those same masters
of the universe and the politicians they fund are still looking for the same thing: cheap foreign
labor. No one seems to care that many migrants test positive for COVID every day and will
directly compete with our struggling service sector workers.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion'
Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Leaders. “The answer is what I saw at that dinner: It's about money. Nearly every major
business and financial leader in this country is a supporter of the Democratic Party. They love
illegal immigration for the simple reason that their livelihoods are subsidized by illegal
immigration—while illegal aliens themselves are subsidized by the taxpayer. It's a redistribution
scheme from the poor to the rich.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And
Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “More Immigration Means Lower Wages For Their Workers And Easier
Access To Servants For Their Decadent Personal Lives.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True
'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Immigration Policies. “We should take a page from President Trump's playbook and call this
what it is. Whenever I criticize the Biden administration's immigration policies, someone tells
me I'm ‘racist.’ Many Republicans naturally grow defensive—no one wants to be tagged as a
racist, especially in today's environment when an accusation like that can end your career or ruin
your life.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,”
Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “What's So Disgusting About The Charge Of Racism Is That It Takes

Something Good About The American People—Their Compassion For Their Fellow
Citizens—And Warps It In Service Of Our Corporate Overlords.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed,
“True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “Who Cares About American Solidarity If Your Hotel Chain Share Price
Goes Up A Few Pennies, Right?” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure
Borders And Stopping Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
• Vance: “It's Not Racist To Refuse To Do The Bidding Of America's Corporate

Oligarchy, And It's Not Compassionate To Create A Crisis On Both Sides Of Our
Southern Border.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “True 'Compassion' Requires Secure Borders And Stopping
Illegal Immigration,” Newsweek, 3/18/21)
Immigration Policies Against Their Economic Interests. CARLSON: “So if you're, you
know, a working class black person, immigration doesn't help you in any sense, it helps rich
people. But a ruling class makes the conversation about race, so all of a sudden, you feel like
you've got to be in favor of this because there's some sort of solidarity, which is false.” VANCE:
“Yes. One of the pretty consistent findings is that the biggest problem with low-wage, low-
skilled immigration is that it has a competitive effect for black Americans on the lower end of
the income scale.” CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE: “That's the group of people that low-wage and
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low-skilled immigration is worse for. Again, it's good for people who are employing the low-
skilled workers. And so if you again distract from the people who are benefiting from the
problem, and you put the onus on a group of people who are also suffering from low-wage, low-
skill competition, then you manage to build up the elites. And of course, you don't actually solve
any of the real problems.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 5/14/19)
Low-Skill Competition, Then You Manage To Build Up The Elites.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson
Tonight,” 5/14/19)
Travel Ban
Vance Opposed Trump’s So-Called “Muslim Ban” And Blamed Trump For Putting The
Idea In Voters’ Heads. VANCE: “But when we start, talking having conversations for example
about a Muslim ban which thankfully President Trump retracted later on in the campaign. But as
soon as he talked about a Muslim ban, all of a sudden a lot of voters supported the idea of a
Muslim ban.” (UChicago Institute Of Politics YouTube Channel, 2/3/17, 1:09:15-1:09:30)
Texas Border Actions
In January 2024, Vance Posted To Twitter Expressing His Support For Texas Taking
Legislative Action To Prevent Illegal Immigration Into Their State. (Vance Profile, Twitter,
1/4/24)
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D.C. Criminal Code

In 2023, Vance Voted Yea On HJR 26, Which Disapproved Of DC’s Revision Of Its
Criminal Code. (HJR 26, Passed (81 - 14), United States Senate, 3/8/23, Vance Voted Yea)
• NOTE: “This joint resolution nullifies the Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022, enacted
by the council of the District of Columbia (DC). The act makes a variety of changes to
DC criminal laws, including by providing statutory definitions for various elements of
criminal offenses, modifying sentencing guidelines and penalties, and expanding the right
to a jury trial for certain misdemeanor crimes.” (HJR 26)
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Miscellaneous – Crime
Climate Change Protestors
In November 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Calling For The Imprisonment And “No
More Tolerance For The Arsonists Of Civilization”. (Vance Profile, Twitter, 11/6/23)
FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENSE

Overall
Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy
In 2019, Vance Called For The Conservative Movement To Push “A Foreign Policy That
Was Built Around Fiercely Securing And Defending America's National Interests, But Not
Sacrificing So Many Of The People That I Served With To Imperial Hubris.” “Now, I won't
sit up here and preach at you a conservative platform for the next 21st century. I will not tell you
precisely what that conservative politics looks like for two reasons. The first is that it's pretty
late, and I imagine you've had a fair amount to drink, and I don't want to keep you too long. But
the second is that we still need to figure out a lot of the details for how this vision of
conservative politics, a pro-family, pro-worker, pro-American nation, conservatism actually
looks in practice. There's a lot of work to be done. I think in broad strokes, there are a few things
that that conservatism will posses…It would build a foreign policy that was built around fiercely
securing and defending America's national interests, but not sacrificing so many of the people
that I served with to imperial hubris.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
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In 2017, Vance Faulted “Elites Of Both Parties” For Going “Off On Various Military
Misadventures” In The Name Of “Humanitarian Goals.” AXELROD: “But, the second
question is, what is the consequence of that in terms of terrorism and other problems that are
unavoidable in a world this small.” VANCE: “Right. Yes, well, I'm very mindful of the fact that
there obviously is a tradeoff between humanitarian interest and national interest sometimes. And
I do worry that folks on both the left and the right have been a little bit too high-minded about
American foreign policy. And so, there's been this backlash, right? There's this sense that we
have to retrench a little bit because the elites of both parties have sort of gone off on various
military misadventures, in the name of very -- various humanitarian goals.” AXELROD: “And
the hubris (ph) that said we can impose democracy –" VANCE: “Exactly.” AXELROD: “-- in
places that didn't have the civic –” VANCE: “Absolutely.” AXELROD: “-- sort of institutions
to support it, and where tribalism is a much more potent force.” VANCE: “Right. And so, I sort
of get the reaction against that in a certain way, right? I understand this impulse, and for a very
long time, I was, you know, what are my culture. I'm curious for this very reason that he was
willing to criticize some of these sacred cows –" AXELROD: “Yes.” VANCE: “-- in the foreign
policy consensus.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Ukraine-Russia Conflict
Overall – Opposition To U.S. Resources
By Stating “The Problem In Ukraine … Is That There’s No Clear End Point”. “Ukrainian
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and others have advocated
passage of the $60 billion in aid at the Munich Security Conference, which coincided with
Ukraine withdrawing troops from the eastern city of Avdiivka after months of intense combat.
But Sen. JD Vance, an Ohio Republican and ally of Donald Trump, said “the problem in Ukraine
… is that there’s no clear end point” and that the U.S. doesn’t make enough weapons to support
wars in eastern Europe, the Middle East and “potentially a contingency in East Asia.””
2/18/24)
On The Battlefield”. “If the package goes through, “that is not going to fundamentally change
the reality on the battlefield,” Vance argued, pointing to limited American manufacturing
capacity. “Can we send the level of weaponry we’ve sent for the last 18 months?” he asked. “We
simply cannot. No matter how many checks the U.S. Congress writes, we are limited there.””
2/18/24)
• Vance: “Can We Send The Level Of Weaponry We’ve Sent For The Last 18
Months… We Simply Cannot. No Matter How Many Checks The U.S. Congress
Writes, We Are Limited There.” (“Republican Opponent Of US Aid To Ukraine Brings His Case
To An International Conference,” Associated Press, 2/18/24)
Vance Supports “Negotiated Peace” Between Russia And Ukraine. ““I think what’s
reasonable to accomplish is some negotiated peace,” he said, arguing that Russia, Ukraine,
Europe and the U.S. all have an incentive to come to the table now and that the two-year-old war
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will at some point end in a negotiated peace. Ricarda Lang, a co-leader of one of Germany’s
governing parties, the Greens, responded that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown
repeatedly “that he has no interest in peace at the moment.”” (“Republican Opponent Of US Aid To
Ukraine Brings His Case To An International Conference,” Associated Press, 2/18/24)

First’ Foreign Aid Package”. (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
• Vance: “The Establishment, Combined With The Democrats, Are Then Going To
Cut Out The Border Piece Of This Package … It Was Never About The Border. It
Was Always About Ukraine.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid
Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Try To Jam It Through”. ““Now, what is coming immediately after that is actually a huge
surprise. And this is big news, because this was not known even 12 hours ago, but the
establishment, combined with the Democrats, are then going to cut out the border piece of this
package, which leaves Ukraine, Taiwan, Israel funding and try to jam it through today.” (“Senator
Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Democrats, Passing This Ukraine Package And Then Putting Pressure On The House.”
““Now, we have to remember that we’ve had no time to review the Ukraine piece of this. You
know how I feel about Ukraine. Even some of my friends who are pro Ukraine funding are
saying, wait, we have to have time to actually review this. But, Steve, this is all about giving
away what little leverage we have over the Democrats, passing this Ukraine package and then
putting pressure on the House.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,”
Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Is Obsessed… Absolutely A Borderline Fetish With Getting Ukraine Money”. ““So it’s a
lose from a policy perspective. It’s a lose from a political perspective, and I have no idea why
we’re doing it except for this: Senate leadership is obsessed, Steve, I mean, absolutely a
borderline fetish with getting Ukraine money and they’re willing to give away all of our leverage
to get it. Everybody needs to say this is a no-go. Vote no on this package. It is the single most
important thing to kill in the U.S. Senate since I’ve been here. The worst piece of legislation, I
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think, in the U.S. Senate since I’ve been here and we’ve got to absolutely get it out of here.””
Reality, We Were Doing This Massive Amnesty Package Behind Closed Doors.” ““What
happened in the background, Steve, is that the negotiation happened completely in secret. Of
course, we didn’t know any of the details of what was coming out. We were promised it was
going to be great. But remember, we went into this negotiation saying there’s a very simple
proposition here: the Democrats want Ukraine money, we don’t want to give them Ukraine
money. Or even if we do, some of my colleagues do, of course – we want border security more
than that. So tell Joe Biden very simply, he doesn’t get another dime for Ukraine unless he shuts
down the American border. That was what we thought we were negotiating here. In reality, we
were doing this massive amnesty package behind closed doors.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For
‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Conservatives Would Swallow $61 Billion For Ukraine.” ““And then, of course, like you said,
dropped on Sunday evening for a Wednesday vote so that nobody would have enough time to
read it and push back against the terrible provisions. Here’s what I’ve heard Steve, and I’ve
heard this from both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate, that the
Republicans were never empowered by our own leadership to really push for concessions.
“So James Lankford from Oklahoma is going to get a lot of crap for this. What I’ve heard is
actually that he was told that he was not allowed to get major concessions on the border because
this was always a fig leaf. It was always a question of how can you get enough on the border so
the conservatives would swallow $61 billion for Ukraine.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine
First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance Senate, 2/7/24)
Fundamental Flaw In This Entire Process”. ““They may not love it, but they love border
security. That was always the trade they were being forced to make. Well as you know, Steve, if
you go into a negotiation and you’re already preemptively giving concessions and you’re
unwilling to walk away because you’re supposed to give border to get Ukraine funding. Right,
that’s what the Democrats are saying. “Well, if the Republican leadership wants Ukraine funding
as much as the Democrats, we don’t have any leverage to begin with. And that was the
fundamental flaw in this entire process, is we had no leverage because our leadership didn’t
allow us to have leverage.” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
Gives The Whole Game Away.” ““Well, if the Republican leadership wants Ukraine funding as
much as the Democrats, we don’t have any leverage to begin with. And that was the fundamental
flaw in this entire process, is we had no leverage because our leadership didn’t allow us to have
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leverage. That’s why this whole thing has broken down and that’s why they’ve now immediately
pivoted to getting money for Ukraine, which if we cared about the border, Steve, what we should
be doing is going back to the drawing board saying: this isn’t good enough, but still the deal is on
the table. No more money for Ukraine unless Biden shuts down the border. The fact that we’re
not even doing that, Steve gives the whole game away. It was never about the border. It was
always about Ukraine.”” (“Senator Vance Blasts Push For ‘Ukraine First’ Foreign Aid Package,” Vance
Senate, 2/7/24)
In January 2023, Vance Signed Onto A Letter To The Director Of The Office Of
Management And Budget Calling For Details On Ukraine Spending. (Letter To Director Of The
Office Of Management And Budget, 1/19/23)
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(Letter To Director Of The Office Of Management And Budget, 1/19/23)
In September 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Describing Senate Ukraine Funding

Legislation As A “Messaging Stunt”. (Vance Profile, Twitter, 9/29/23)
Zelensky
In February 2024, Vance ‘Retweeted’ A Tweet Expressing Opposition To Describing
Zelensky As A “Hero”. (Vance Profile, Twitter, 2/20/24)
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Impeachment
According To The Washington Post, Vance Opposes Ukraine Funding In Order To Protect
Donald Trump From Potential Future Impeachment. ““These funds expire on September 30,
2025 — nearly a year into the possible second term of President Trump,” Vance explained in a
memo that he says he sent to every Republican in Congress on Monday. Then the warning:
“These are the exact same accounts President Trump was impeached for pausing in December
2019.” That’s the argument Vance is making: Democrats are trying to pass a bill that will allow
them to impeach Trump again! Republicans must stand in their way! It is a nonsensical
argument, rooted in an obvious misrepresentation of Trump’s 2019 impeachment.” (“J.D. Vance’s
Sloppy Effort To Turn MAGA World Against Ukraine Funding,” Washington Post, 2/12/24)
In February 2024, Vance Posted Describing Ukraine Aid As An “Impeachment Time

Bomb”. (Twitter, Posted 2/12/24)
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(Twitter, Posted 2/12/24)
According To The Memo, Foreign Military Financing For Ukraine Is An Attempt To

“Provide Grounds To Impeach Trump And Undermine His Administration.” (Memo 1, Memo
2, Accessed 2/22/24)
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(Memo 1, Memo 2, Accessed 2/22/24)
Trump - Soleimani
The Advantage Of China. VANCE: “One person who is paying close attention to this, one of
the few who cares is J.D. Vance, the author of course of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ We're happy to have
him on our show tonight. J.D., thanks so much for coming on. I don't think anybody mourns the
death of Soleimani, in this country anyway, but I wonder what the Chinese think as they watch
this?” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR: “Well, I think one thing they're thinking is that, just as the past
two American presidencies have been bogged down in the Middle East in various ways, this
conflict risks escalating in a way that makes America focus on the Middle East for yet another
few years, maybe another 10 years, even as the Chinese grow and military might in economic
power. And we know, of course, that they're planting various infrastructure and economic
institutions all over Africa, all over Asia, that their entire economy is growing and flourishing.
And yet, again, we risk focusing on this small region of the world that is obviously important,
but not nearly as important as our biggest geopolitical rival continuing to gain strength and
power.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
• Vance: “This Conflict Risks Escalating In A Way That Makes America Focus On
The Middle East For Yet Another Few Years, Maybe Another 10 Years, Even As
The Chinese Grow And Military Might In Economic Power.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
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“Financial Elites” Could Profit From The Rise Of China. CARLSON: “I mean, just a macro
question to end on, why is it so hard for our elites to police themselves? If someone is
consistently wrong about the big things, why is he still in the same job? If we allowed our heart
surgeons to keep working with that kind of track record, no one would survive surgery. So why
do we allow our policymakers to be wrong time and again?” VANCE: “Well, Tucker, I'll give
you a cynical answer, and then a less cynical answer. I mean, the less cynical answer is basically
that a lot of people just aren't very good and very smart at what they do. And honestly, I actually
hope that's the answer, because the more cynical answer is that as our country has successfully
bungled, or sorry successively, bungled Middle Eastern wars and allowed China to rise, there is
of course a group of people who've gotten very wealthy off of China's growing power, and that's
the financial elites who actually run the country, who donate to the think tanks, of course, that
produce the policy papers that so many of our politicians rely on. And so I do think that one way
of recognizing that there's been a massive failure here is that the people who have not been in
service of the American national interests are still collecting a paycheck, and the people who
have gotten it right are still largely on the fringes.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
Vance: “And I Think That's Fundamentally A Story Of Incentives And A Story Of Who
Donors Are Benefiting From And Who Donors Are Paying To Effectively Issue What Is
Propaganda.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 1/3/20)
Iraq
In 2023, Vance Voted Yea On S 316, Which Repealed Military Force Authorization
Against Iraq. (S 316, Passed (66 - 30), United States Senate, 3/29/23, Vance Voted Yea)
• NOTE: “This bill repeals specified authorizations for the use of military force against
Iraq.” (S 316)
In 2016, Vance Criticized The Iraq War And The Consequences To Veterans Of The War.
“To Mamaw, the president was the living embodiment of privilege, and he had cashed in when it
mattered most: by joining the Texas Air National Guard while his less fortunate peers lost their
lives in the jungles of Vietnam. Though I never acquired Mamaw's disdain for the president, I
eventually learned that her wariness about the war was justified. Thirteen years later, the war's
costs are obvious, especially to military families. Though I avoided significant combat, many did
not. One good friend suffered horrible burns when his vehicle rolled over a roadside bomb.
Another came home traumatized; his alcoholism eventually landed him in prison.” (JD Vance, Op-
Off Than The Way We Found It.” “I am proud of my service and proud of those who served
alongside me. But war is about more than service and sacrifice -- it's about winning. Sixty years
ago, Americans looked to Europe and Asia and saw continents liberated and despots defeated.
With the Islamic State on the rampage, Americans today look to a Middle East that is
humiliatingly worse off than the way we found it.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The
To Rethink The Bush Foreign Policy That Led To Iraq.” “Yet while the Democrats elected
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an anti-Iraq war candidate in 2008, the Republicans never addressed the anger of their own
voters. At best, they criticized the mismanagement of the war or hauled V.A. officials into
Congress for hearings. But in 2008 and 2012, the party ran candidates who refused to rethink the
Bush foreign policy that led to Iraq.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The New York Times,
4/4/16)
Vance Said Jeb Bush’s Advisers Were From “The Same Pool Of Discredited Thinkers
Who Planned And Executed The War.” “In early 2015, the party appeared ready to coronate
Jeb Bush, the brother of the man who started the Iraq war. Jeb drew his advisers from the same
pool of discredited thinkers who planned and executed the war. Meanwhile, his chief adversaries
rushed to praise George W. Bush's national security record.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar
Appeal,” The New York Times, 4/4/16)
Vance: “Mr. Trump Is Unfit For Our Nation's Highest Office. But To Those Humiliated
By Defeat, He Promises We'll Win Again.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump's Antiwar Appeal,” The New
York Times, 4/4/16)
Vance Said When Bush Was In Office, “He Sent Their Children On A Bloody
Misadventure.” “Anger about the wars isn't the only reason voters support Mr. Trump. But his
willingness to say what other G.O.P. candidates won't reflects what people like most about him:
his complete break with the party elite. Because the last time Republican voters put a member of
that elite in the White House, he sent their children on a bloody misadventure. Until others
recognize that failure, expect many to support the one major candidate who does.” (JD Vance, Op-
In 2010, Vance Wrote That He “Supported The Iraq Invasion On The Merits.” “The New
York Times points out that psychological necessity may force the gung-ho attitude displayed by
the helicopter crews, and I can only lamely add that soldiers are people, too. We can legislate
laws of war and refine rules of engagement, but war will always be a grisly business. I’m not a
peacenik, and I supported the Iraq invasion on the merits, but it’s folly to send troops to do the
toughest job and then be shocked by the attitude that some show while doing it.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed,
“Wikileaks Shows True Nature Of War,” FrumForum, 4/12/10)
Vance Said Of “All Of President Bush’s Mistakes, His Failure To Emotionally Prepare The
American People For War Is Perhaps The Most Severe.” “The second is that of all of
President Bush’s mistakes, his failure to emotionally prepare the American people for war is
perhaps the most severe. We ought to demand the best of our troops, and do whatever necessary
to rectify mistakes, but the American people are too often confused or shocked when things like
this happen. Maybe we wouldn’t be if we understood the monumental difficulty of our task.” (JD
Hamel, Op-Ed, “Wikileaks Shows True Nature Of War,” FrumForum, 4/12/10)
In 2005, Vance, Then Going By Hamel, Reported That The Iraqi Security Forces Were
Part Of A “Successful Evolution” Toward U.S. Policy Of Slowly Relinquishing Control Of
Iraq To Its Own People. “‘As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.’ Those are the words of
President George W. Bush, stating the U.S. policy of slowly relinquishing control of Iraq to its
own people. At the heart of this policy is the successful evolution of the Iraqi Security Forces,
who, despite bombs and death threats, continue to learn the ropes of combat patrols and
provincial security. But to be successful, the Iraqis need bases of operations, and that's where the
Engineer Support Battalion Marines at Al Asad, Iraq, serve as important a role as any in
Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Marines are busy every day in the hot Iraqi sun building a fully
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functional, self-sustaining ISF base. It is one of many sites Iraqis will use to assume
responsibility for the security of their nation.” (Cpl. James D. Hamel, “Al Asad Detachment Helps Build
New Iraq,” US Department Of Defense Information, 9/13/05)
In 2005, Vance Wrote About The Marines Assistance In The “Successful Iraqi Election.”
“As Iraqis took to the polls for the third time this year, Marines from the 2nd Marine Aircraft
Wing and other units stationed in Iraq, supported Operation Liberty Express, filling vital roles in
the security, transportation and livelihood of Iraqi poll workers. At Camp Liberty, Iraq, a
makeshift city that housed nearly 700 election workers and officials, Marines provided security
and comfortable living conditions for the poll workers, while others at Al Asad, Iraq, ensured
their safe transportation, by air and ground, to polling sites around the country. ‘Our basic goal
was to provide a secure environment with basic life amenities for the poll workers and
(Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq) poll captains,’ said Gunnery Sgt. Stephen Ahern, a
Castle Rock, Colo., native and staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the security element
at Camp Liberty. The security detachment included Marines from every conceivable job
specialty and background. After brief refresher courses in basic security tactics, the Marines took
to their duties with enthusiasm and skill, Ahern said.” (Cpl. James D. Hamel, “Operation Liberty Express
Ensures Successful Iraqi Election,” Defense Department Documents And Publications, 12/20/05)
In 2017, Vance Said He Embraced The “Very Old-Fashioned View” On Iraq—“Which

Can Be Simply Stated As You Break It, You Buy It”—While Criticizing A “Sort Of Never-
Ending Commitment To The Country.” VANCE: “My worry is that we're going in too far in
the other direction, right? I mean, I have a very old-fashioned view, especially with regards to
Iraq, which can be simply stated as you break it, you buy it. And I don't think that we can have
this sort of never-ending commitment to the country of Iraq. But I think about, you know, these
military interpreters. I actually talked to a general a few days ago, his interpreter was trapped in
an airport after this refugee order came down. And I just think about what we really owe to these
people, especially the people who helped us out.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Vance Expressed Concern That The U.S. Had “Gone Again Too Far In The Other
Direction” And Urged Us To “Find Some Sort Of Happy Median.” VANCE: “And I worry
that we've gone again too far in the other direction. And so, like with everything, I always hope
that we can find some sort of happy median, where maybe we can balance these interests a little
bit better than we have in the past. But we're not, you know, putting a hard ban on people in a
way that affects people who've been very good to us. But, it's in some ways, I think, a natural
outgrowth of a pretty dark period in the American foreign policy.” (CNN’s “Axe Files,” 2/9/17)
Israel
In 2023, Vance Voted Yea On SR 417, Which Supports Israel In A Stand Against
Terrorism. (SR 417, Passed (97 - 0), United States Senate, 10/19/23, Vance Voted Yea)
• NOTE: “This resolution states that the Senate stands with Israel as it defends itself,
reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense, and calls on all countries to unequivocally
condemn Hamas' war on Israel. The resolution also reaffirms the United States'
commitment to Israel's security, supports emergency resupply and certain other types of
assistance to Israel, and calls on the United States to lead an international effort to
deprive Hamas of Iranian and other sources of funding and lethal assistance.
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Furthermore, the resolution states that nothing in it may be construed as a declaration of

war or an authorization for the use of military force.” (SR 417)
China
Controversial Commentary
Vance Said That China Had An Advantage Over The United States Because Chinese
Nationals Were More Patriotic. CARLSON: “Right. And they know that we're so self-hating
that they can control us. They can bully us into submission, but the Chinese don't hate
themselves, do they?” VANCE: “No, they don't Tucker. And that's one of the craziest things
about China is whether it's Chinese nationals who are living overseas in America or Western
Europe, whether it's folks who maybe go on a student visa, and then come back; what's pretty
clear, is that China is very good at ensuring that its own citizens actually love the country. And I
don't think there's a whole lot that's especially lovable about the Chinese nation these days. But
they're very good at making their own citizens patriotic. And unfortunately, we have a country
that has a lot to be -- you know, we have a lot to be proud of in America.” CARLSON: “Yes.”
VANCE: “But unfortunately, a lot of folks don't think that this country is something to be proud
of. When you have -- when you're in a global geopolitical struggle, where one nation is afraid of
its own shadow, and the other nation is proud of itself, it's not too difficult to imagine which
nation is going to win.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 10/7/19)
Ireland
In November 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Appearing To Express His Support For
Threatening “Economic Sanctions” On Ireland Because An “Ireland Senator Wants To
Criminalize Speech That Causes Too Much ‘Discomfort’ For People.” (Vance Profile, Twitter,
11/27/23)
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SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ISSUES

Abortion
Heartbeat Bill
Vance Criticized Stacey Abrams For Opposing Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill. “But when I think
about the modern Democratic Party’s rhetoric on abortion, the thing that worries me most is not
what they’ve said about third trimester abortions, it’s what Stacey Abrams said about the
Georgia heartbeat bill not long ago, that it was bad for business. And of course, she’s right.
Workers with children are more expensive, their healthcare policies cost more, they are less
dedicated to their jobs and more dedicated to their families, and I say we want more of those
workers and less of Stacey Abrams’ workers.” (J.D. Vance, Speech To American Conservative
Conference, 5/9/19)
Third-Trimester Abortions
In 2019, Vance Said Conservatives Were “Rightfully Worried, And Even Appalled” By
Many Democrats’ Support For Third-Trimester Abortions. “We are on the Right rightfully
worried, and even appalled, by some of the rhetoric from the Left on abortion these days.
Governor Northam of Virginia talking about aborting a child in the third trimester, the fact that
every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has endorsed, in some measure, third trimester
abortion.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
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Abortion Exceptions
Vance Said He Would Support Banning Abortion Even In Cases Of Rape, Incest, Calling
Rape “Inconvenient.” “In a local news interview published Wednesday, author and venture
capitalist turned Senate candidate J.D. Vance suggested he would support prohibiting abortion
even in cases of rape and incest—and dismissed those catalysts as ‘inconvenient.’” ‘It’s not
whether a woman should be forced to bring a child to term; it’s whether a child should be
allowed to live, even though the circumstances of that child’s birth are somehow inconvenient or
a problem to the society,’ said Vance, who lags behind several Republican candidates in his Ohio
primary. ‘The question to me is really about the baby. We want women to have opportunities, we
want women to have choices, but, above all, we want women and young boys in the womb to
have a right to life.” (The Daily Beast, 9/23/21)
2021: Vance Was Interviewed By Spectrum News 1 And Described Pregnancy Due To
Rape Or Incest As A Situation Where “The Circumstances The Child's Birth Are
Somehow Inconvenient.” “CURTIS JACKSON: Should a woman be forced to carry a child to
term after she has been the victim of incest, or rape? VANCE: Look my view on this has been
very clear. And I think the question betrays a certain presumption that's wrong. It's not whether
women should be forced to bring a child to term it's whether a child should be allowed to live,
even though the circumstances the child's birth are somehow inconvenient, or a problem to the
society. The question really, to me is about the baby. We want women to have opportunities. We
want women to have choices. But above all, we want women and young boys in the womb to
have the right to life. Right now. Our society doesn't afford that. I think it's a tragedy. And I think
we can do better.” (Spectrum News 1, 9/22/21)
Vance Compared Abortion to Slavery. “JD Vance compared abortion to slavery in an
interview last fall, drawing a controversial parallel between America’s original sin and a
procedure that until recently was a constitutional right.“There’s something comparable between
abortion and slavery, and that while the people who obviously suffer the most are those subjected
to it, I think it has this morally distorting effect on the entire society,” Vance, the GOP nominee
for an open Ohio Senate seat, said in an interview with the Catholic Current last October. Vance
then referenced Abraham Lincoln’s quote “I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master,”
before arguing that because of abortion, many Americans have “begun to see children as
inconveniences to be discarded, instead of blessings to cherish.” “I really think abortion has
really done something very socially destructive to us as people in how we see the most
vulnerable and the most dependent among us,” Vance continued. “I think that’s one of the
underappreciated facts about abortion. It’s really distorted our entire society.” (Vice, 7/7/22)
Vance Said “Not Right Now” When Asked About A National Abortion Ban.” “[00:01]
INTERVIEWER: And if elected, would you support a federal ban on abortion? [00:06] JD
VANCE: I think that-- what I, what I really think on, on the ru-- so first of all the Dobbs
decision, everybody knows overruled Roe vs. Wade. I think that was the right decision, kicks it
back to legislatures at the federal and the state level. My view on this is let the states try to figure
this out for now. Ohio has a heartbeat bill. I think that's a good bill. Florida has gone a slightly
different direction. Virginia has gone a slightly different direction. When we're figuring this new
legal regime out. I think it makes sense right now to let the state's decide this stuff. And right
now, states are moving into pro life direction. I think that's a good thing. [00:35]
INTERVIEWER: And it sounds like then that you don't think that the Senate or the federal
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government should have a role on abortion. [00:40] JD VANCE: Not right now. Not right now. I
think I think right now we need to let the states figure this stuff out. The ruling is new, the laws
are new, the legal regime is new. And what the Supreme Court I think really gave us an
opportunity to do was to focus on this stuff at the state level. (NBC News, 7/8/22)
Women In Violent Marriages
HEADLINE: Vice: “JD Vance Suggests People in ‘Violent’ Marriages Shouldn’t Get
Divorced.” (Vice, 7/25/22)
• Vice: “Vance Said People Need To Be More Willing To Stay In Unhappy Marriages
For The Sake Of Their Kids—And Seemed To Suggest That In Some Cases, ‘Even
Violent’ Marriages Should Continue.” “JD Vance said people need to be more willing
to stay in unhappy marriages for the sake of their kids—and seemed to suggest that in
some cases, ‘even violent’ marriages should continue. The Ohio Republican Senate
nominee, talking to Pacifica Christian High School in Southern California last
September, gave an extended answer that claimed that people now ‘shift spouses like
they change their underwear,’ and that it had done long-term damage to a generation of
children.” (Vice, 7/25/22)
HEADLINE: CNN: “Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Argues 'Violent', 'Unhappy' Marriages
Shouldn't End In Divorce.” (CNN, 7/28/22)
• Chris Cillizza: “In Comments Unearthed By Vice News That Just Went Public, But
Vance Actually Made Last September, He Seemed To Encourage Women In Violent
Relationships To Stay In Them.” (CNN, 7/28/22)
• Chris Cillizza: “You Heard Him Right. Vance Is Suggesting That People Should
Stay In Unhappy Or Even Violent Marriages Because… Uh… People Now ‘Shift
Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear.’” (CNN, 7/28/22)
HEADLINE: HuffPost: “J.D. Vance: People Should Stay In 'Violent' Marriages For The
Sake Of The Kids” (HuffPost, 7/26/22)
• Huffpost: “Ohio GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Apparently Thinks A Bad
Marriage Is Better Than No Marriage.” “Ohio GOP Senate candidate J.D. Vance
apparently thinks a bad marriage is better than no marriage ― at least when kids are
involved. The ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author expressed as much while speaking at a southern
California high school last September, as seen in a video recently shared by Vice News.”
(HuffPost, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: People: “Ohio Senate Candidate J.D. Vance Explains Comments About
People Staying in Unhappy, 'Even Violent' Marriages.” (People, 7/26/22)
• People: “The Republican Author Of Hillbilly Elegy Said Last September That
Americans Were Tricked By The Sexual Revolution Into Thinking It’s Okay To
‘Shift Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear.’” (People, 7/26/22)
• People: “Vance, Who's Running For Senate In Ohio, Explained Comments He
Made About People Who ‘Shift Spouses Like They Change Their Underwear’ To
Leave Unhappy Or ‘Even Violent’ Marriages.” “Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance,
who's running for Senate in Ohio, explained comments he made about people who ‘shift
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spouses like they change their underwear’ to leave unhappy or ‘even violent’ marriages.”
(People, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: The Independent: “JD Vance Suggested Women In Violent Relationships

Should Not Get Divorced For The Sake Of Children.” (The Independent, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: Vanity Fair: “GOP Senate Candidate J.D. Vance: If People Love Their Kids,
They’ll Stay in Violent Marriages.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “Vance Claimed That Divorce Inflicts Terrible Harm On Children
And That It Would Be Better For People In Unhappy Marriages To Stay Together,
Even If Said Marriages Are ‘Violent.’” “Speaking to Pacifica Christian High School
last September, with the interview published by Vice News on Monday, Vance claimed
that divorce inflicts terrible harm on children and that it would be better for people in
unhappy marriages to stay together, even if said marriages are ‘violent.’ Vance told the
audience: ‘My grandparents had an incredibly chaotic marriage in a lot of ways. But they
never got divorced. They were together to the end, till death do us part—that was a really
important thing to my grandmother and my grandfather. That was clearly not true by the
’70s or ’80s. And I think that probably, I was personally, and a lot the kids in my
community who grew up in my generation, personally suffered from the fact that a lot of
moms and dads saw marriage as a basic contract, like any other business deal.” (Vanity
Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “It’s Extremely Disturbing That This Person Who Wants To Become
One Of The Most Powerful People In Ohio Has Also Suggested That It Was A Good
Thing That Two Violent People—One Of Whom Apparently Tried To Kill The
Other—Stayed Together.” “While Vance writes that his grandparents’ marriage
improved by the time he was a kid, and that the two were a stable force in his life, it’s
extremely disturbing that this person who wants to become one of the most powerful
people in Ohio has also suggested that it was a good thing that two violent people—one
of whom apparently tried to kill the other—stayed together, recommending that others
take a page from their playbook.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
• Vanity Fair: “If Vance’s Advice For Married Couples Were Taken, It Would No
Doubt Hurt Women The Most, As They Are Disproportionately Affected By
Domestic Violence.” “While the above anecdote is obviously about a woman inflicting
violence on a man, if Vance’s advice for married couples were taken, it would no doubt
hurt women the most, as they are disproportionately affected by domestic violence. And
while it probably won’t be news to anyone but Vance, according to the World Health
Organization, ‘children who grow up in families where there is violence may suffer a
range of behavioral and emotional disturbances. These can also be associated with
perpetrating or experiencing violence later in life.’ WHO also notes that ‘intimate partner
violence has also been associated with higher rates of infant and child mortality and
morbidity.’ So yeah, maybe don’t listen to this guy about anything.” (Vanity Fair, 7/26/22)
HEADLINE: Newsweek: “J.D. Vance Slammed For Suggesting Women Stay In Violent
Marriages.” (Newsweek, 7/25/22)
• Newsweek: “Vance, The Trump-Backed Republican Nominee To Replace Retiring
GOP Senator Rob Portman Of Ohio, Is Facing Fierce Backlash Over A Report That
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He Made Comments Urging Women To Stay In ‘Violent’ Marriages.” “J.D. Vance,

the Trump-backed Republican nominee to replace retiring GOP Senator Rob Portman of
Ohio, is facing fierce backlash over a report that he made comments urging women to
stay in ‘violent’ marriages, which he has denied. Vance lashed out at people who ‘shift
spouses like they change their underwear’ during a talk at Pacifica Christian High School
in Newport Beach, California, last September, according to an article published on
Monday by Vice News. The Ohio Republican and Hillbilly Elegy author said that ‘one of
the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace’ was
convincing people in ‘unhappy’ or ‘even violent’ marriages that getting divorced would
‘make people happier in the long term,’ according to Vice.” (Newsweek, 7/25/22)
2021: VIDEO: Vance Condemns Divorce Even In Cases Of Domestic Violence. Vance: “But
if you recognize that moms and dads really are different, that men and women need different
things, you recognize we've got a real problem here. And we continue to have a real problem
here. But I mean, culturally, something has clearly shifted. I mean, I think it's easy, but also
probably true to blame the sexual revolution in the 1960s. My grandparents had an incredibly
chaotic marriage in a lot of ways. But they never got divorced, right, they were together to the
end till death do us part, that was a really important thing to my grandmother and my
grandfather. That was clearly not true by the 70s, or 80s. And I think that probably, you know, I
was personally and a lot of the kids in my community grew up in my generation, personally
suffered from the fact that a lot of moms and dads saw marriage as a basic contract, right, like
any other business deal, once it becomes no longer good for one of the parties, or both of the
parties. You just dissolve it and go on to a new business relationship. But that recognition that
marriage was sacred, I think was a really powerful thing that held a lot of families together. And
when it disappeared, unfortunately, a lot of kids suffered. And this is one of the great tricks that I
think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is this idea that like, Well,
okay, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were, they were maybe even violent,
but certainly they were unhappy. And so getting rid of them, and making it easier for people to
shift spouses, like they changed their underwear, that's going to make people happier in the long
term. And maybe it worked out for the moms and dads. Though I'm skeptical. But it really didn't
work out for the kids of those marriages. And I think that's what all of us should be honest about
is we've run this experiment in real time. And what we have is a lot of very, very real family
dysfunction that's making our kids unhappy.” (Pacifica Christian High School, Vance Lecture, [00:40:40],
9/3/2021)
2021: AUDIO: Vance Described Divorce As A “Bad Decision.” Vance: “So I think in a lot of
ways, we have to accept that we're already paying families to do things. It's a question of whether
we're paying them to make good decisions, or we're paying them to make bad decisions. And I'd
say staying married, having children is much better than getting divorced and sitting at home all
day. And that really, to me is the fundamental issue. I actually, I don't think that the goal here is a
massive expansion in the amount of money that we're spending on social welfare, we actually
spent a ton of money on social welfare, we just spend it on very stupid purposes.” (Michael
Knowles Show Vance Interview, [00:12:53], 12/28/2021)
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Race
Controversial Rhetoric
In November 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Stating “The Anti-Whiteness Movement,
Mainstreamed By American Universities And Corporations, Has Blood On Its Hands.”
Religion
Evolution
In A 2011 Op-Ed, Vance Attacked Rick Perry And Michelle Bachmann’s Conservatism
For Opposing “Science.” “Perry and Bachmann’s conservatism is defined by what it opposes:
science, liberalism, and gays. Others insist that their conservatism is reflexively anti-government,
but each supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposal that would annul the marriages
of gay couples—ripping apart new families, many of which count young children as members.”
• Vance: “Their Assertions That Evolution Is ‘Just A Theory’ Miss The Mark, And
Discourage Otherwise Sympathetic Voters From Joining The Conservative Cause.”
• Vance: “I Don’t Buy That I’m A Moderate Because I Believe What Scientists Say
About Evolution.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
Federal Marriage Amendment
In A 2011 Op-Ed, Vance Criticized Rick Perry And Michelle Bachmann For Supporting
The Federal Marriage Amendment, A Proposal Vance Said Would Result In The
Annulment Of Gay Marriages And Would Rip “Apart New Families, Many Of Which
Count Young Children As Members.” “Others insist that their conservatism is reflexively anti-
government, but each supports the Federal Marriage Amendment, a proposal that would annul
the marriages of gay couples—ripping apart new families, many of which count young children
as members.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
• Vance: “I Don’t Buy That I’m A Moderate Because I Think That Families—All Of
Them, Even The Ones Headed By Gay People—Are Vital To The Survival Of The
Republic.” (JD Hamel, Op-Ed, “Huntsman: The Truer Conservative,” FrumForum, 9/7/11)
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POLITICAL
Trump
The 2016 Election
As Early As August 2016, Vance Said He Planned To Vote For Third Party Candidate
Evan McMullin Because He Couldn’t “Stomach Trump.” GROSS: “...What are you going to
do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE: “My current plan is to vote either third
party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog because that’s about as good as it seems.
But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like Trump has a really good chance of winning,
that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton. But at the end of the day, I just
feel like she is so culturally disconnected from the people that I grew up around that it would be
very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for her. So ultimately I think I’ll probably vote third
party. I might vote for this new guy who I really like, Evan McMullin, who I actually met the
other day. But I think that I’m going to vote third party because I can’t stomach Trump. I think
that he’s noxious and is leading the white working class to a very dark place. And ultimately I
just don’t share Hillary Clinton’s politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
• Vance: “I Think That He’s Noxious And Is Leading The White Working Class To A
Very Dark Place.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
Vance In 2016: “I Didn't Vote For Trump Or Hillary Where I Was Almost Saying Look, I
Told You So, Hillary Is Going To Win, We Shouldn't Have Nominated Trump In The First
Place…” VANCE: “Yes. And I guess I felt pretty much the same way. There was a certain amount
of confidence. There was almost an arrogance that I had. So I didn't vote for Trump or Hillary
where I was almost saying look, I told you so, Hillary is going to win, we shouldn't have nominated
Trump in the first place, it just shows that in some ways I was in my own bubble and I'm guilty of
some of the same things that I criticize the elite of being guilty of.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/9/16)
Vance Said He Voted For Evan McMullin And Said, “My Fear With Trump Was Always
That He Didn’t Have Great Solutions.” “Vance voted for independent Evan McMullin, not
Trump, last month. ‘I always understood why he was so appealing to so many folks back home,’
he said of the president-elect. ‘It’s not surprising they voted for him. … My fear with Trump was
always that he didn’t have great solutions.” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202: Why The Author Of
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
• Vance: “I Am Pessimistic That You Can Flip The Trade Switch And Make All
These Steel Jobs Come Back To Middletown.” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202: Why The
Author Of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
In 2017, Vance Defended People Who Had Voted For Trump Despite His Incendiary
Rhetoric, Saying A Vote Against Trump Was A Vote For Hillary Clinton. VANCE: “Yeah,
I agree. The point about risk tolerance for some of the things that Trump said, I think, is a very
important one. It’s something I’ve tried to talk about with my family a lot, that if we maybe
looked a little bit different, if our names were a little bit different, then maybe we wouldn’t be so
tolerant of some of the things he said. We wouldn’t be so willing to cast it aside and say that’s
not really what he means or that’s not really what he thinks. The complicating factor, of course,
is that people weren’t voting a binary yes or no Trump. They were necessarily voting, if not for
Trump, then for Hillary Clinton. The framing I have always had to this is that there’s both a
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substance and a process element to Trump. There’s the things that he says, the policies, such as
they are, that he hopes to enact. That’s the substantive part of Trump, but then there’s the process
part of Trump, which is a criticism of the elites, a criticism of the way we engage in political
discourse, a criticism, specifically, of the Clintons and especially Hillary Clinton. And my sense
is that the process side of Trump was very appealing to a lot of people even as the substantive
side of him was at least a little bit disconcerting, even to a lot of his voters.” (Ezra Klein, “A
Conversation With J.D. Vance, The Reluctant Interpreter Of Trumpism,” Vox, 2/2/17)
In 2018, While Vance Was Considering Running For Senate, Another Candidate Said He
Had “Effectively Voted For Hillary Clinton” In The 2016 Election. “Vance and McConnell
have spoken more than once as party leaders apparently continue to shop for a candidate beyond
wealthy Cleveland-area investment banker Mike Gibbons, who also is a political novice.
Gibbons last week signaled a willingness to invest $5 million of his own money, and potentially
more, in the race. Gibbons' campaign spanked Vance on Wednesday for his failure to vote for
Trump. Vance cast his ballot for Evan McMullin, an independent supported by conservatives
opposed to Trump. ‘Mike Gibbons was a co-chair for President Trump in Ohio and never
wavered in his support for the president. J.D. Vance effectively voted for Hillary Clinton when
he voted against President Trump. There's only one candidate in the race who would support the
president, Mike Gibbons,’ said Mike Biundo, a Gibbons campaign consultant.” (Jessica Wehrman
And Randy Ludlow, “Renacci Shifts Gears; Sources Say He's Pulling Out Of Governor's Race To Run For U.S.
Senate,” The Repository, 1/17/18)
In 2016, Vance Said Cynicism And Frustration In The Country “Needs To Find A Better
Outlet Than Donald Trump” And Said Trump Was Not “Going To Make The Problem
Better.” VANCE: “I think that it’s more about the white working-class folks who aren’t
necessarily economically destitute but in some ways feel very culturally isolated and very
pessimistic about the future. That’s one of the biggest predictors of whether someone will
support Donald Trump – it may be the biggest predictor – is the belief that America is headed in
the wrong direction, the belief that your kids are not going to have a better life than you did. And
that cynicism really breeds frustration at political elites, but, frankly, that frustration needs to
find a better outlet than Donald Trump. And that’s why I’ve made some of the analogies that I
have because I don’t think that he’s going to make the problem better. I think, like you said, he is
in some ways a pain reliever. He’s someone who makes people feel a little bit better about their
problems. But whether he’s elected president or not, those problems are still going to be there,
and we’ve got to recognize that.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
Vance Said Trump Diagnosed Problems In A Successful And Passionate Way, “But I Don't
See Him As Offering Many Solutions.” “VANCE: “Well, I think one thing they should be
doing is thinking seriously about what's wrong in their communities and going, both in personal
ways, but also in the political leaders that they choose, really holding their feet to the fire and
asking that they do things that will actually address their problems. I think, frankly, that's a big
problem with Trump is that he diagnoses the problems in a very successful and very passionate
way, but I don't see him as offering many solutions.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 8/14/16)
Vance Claimed Trump Offered “A Slogan About Greatness With Little Substance To
Support It.” “It is a far cry from the patriotism of my youth. Our faith in our country fell so far,
so fast, that many support a man whose very slogan — ‘Make America Great Again’ —
implicitly argues that a central tenet of my childhood was false. Our mistrust of those in power
has swelled to the point that many will support Donald Trump, who offers a slogan about
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greatness with little substance to support it.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “How The White Working Class Lost Its
Patriotism,” The Washington Post, 7/25/16)
Vance, On Trump In January 2017: “As For The Question About Whether He'll Be
Ultimately Effective, My Guess Is That He Probably Won't Be. But We'll See.” “Q: Do you
think people you wrote about who voted for Trump are going to have a voice? Or do you think
they're going to get played? Vance: Definitely, folks feel like they have a voice now. Whether he
does good things or not is going to be determined over the next few years. I think it's too early to
say whether they got played. I tend to think even if he's not a successful president, I wouldn't say
they got played, because I don't think that gives enough credit to, frankly, how smart people are
when they're weighing their vote and what to do with it. As for the question about whether he'll
be ultimately effective, my guess is that he probably won't be. But we'll see. I'm hoping that he
is.” (“Trump And The 'Hillbilly Elegy' Effect,” Journal And Courier, 1/30/17)
In 2016, Vance Said Of Trump: “Half Of The Things That He Says Don’t Make Any Sense
Or A Quarter Of The Things That He Says Are Offensive.” VANCE: “I certainly understand
why a lot of folks are surprised. I think a big part of it is just the way that Donald Trump
conducts himself. A lot of people feel that you can’t trust anything Hillary Clinton or Barack
Obama say, not because they necessarily lied a lot but because they sound so filtered and they
sound so rehearsed. Donald Trump, if nothing else, is relatable to the average working-class
American because he speaks off the cuff. He’s clearly unfiltered and unrehearsed. And there is
something relatable about that, even if, you know, half of the things that he says don’t make any
sense or a quarter of the things that he says are offensive. There’s something to be said about
relatability. And it’s not, you know – there’s been a lot written about how elite political
conversation is not emotionally relatable to big chunks of the country. I think that in a lot of
ways, Trump is just the first person to tap into that sense of disconnect in the way that he
conducts himself with politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
In 2016, Vance Said Trump’s Policy Proposals, “Such As They Are, Range From Immoral
To Absurd.” “Though Trump held his fire in the debate, he lit into W. on social media and in
interviews. Other candidates defended the former president. They, too, failed to understand
Trump’s appeal, how something so offensive to their political palate could be cathartic for
millions of their own voters. I quickly realized that Trump’s actual policy proposals, such as they
are, range from immoral to absurd. But as a Marine veteran who grew up in a struggling Rust
Belt town, I understand why many adore him. He tells America’s rich and powerful precisely
what we wish we could tell them ourselves: that many of the things they view as
accomplishments suck for people like us.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Trump Fans Feel Betrayed By G.W.
Bush,” Tulare Advance-Register, 2/18/16)
In A 2016 Op-Ed, Vance Wrote That “Trump’s Policies, Such As They Are, Offer Little
Substance To Those Suffering From Addiction, Joblessness, And Downward Mobility.”
“The institutional offshoots of this peculiar moment have monopolized the conversation. Donald
Trump is the voice of poor white America. The Black Lives Matter movement is the voice of
dispossessed blacks and their sympathizers. Yet if these voices have monopolized the
conversation, they certainly haven’t monopolized the good ideas. Trump’s policies, such as they
are, offer little substance to those suffering from addiction, joblessness, and downward
mobility.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Two Underclasses,” National Review, 8/29/16)
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In 2016, Vance Claimed He Had Texted His Book Editor That Trump Winning The
Election Would Be “Terrible For The Country, But Good For Book Sales.” “During his
2016 book tour, Vance was not shy about his disdain for Trump. When NPR’s Terry Gross asked
how he planned to vote that November, he said, ‘I think that I’m going to vote third party
to a very dark place.’ In the course of a conversation with Vox’s Ezra Klein, he readily agreed
that Trump’s rhetoric was racially incendiary. And appearing on the podcast I hosted at the time,
Need to Know, Vance said that as the election year progressed, he became more and more
convinced that Trump could win. He had texted his book agent, he told Jay Nordlinger and me,
saying that, ‘If Trump wins it would be terrible for the country, but good for book sales.’” (Mona
Charen, “J.D. Vance Joins The Jackals,” The Bulwark, 3/17/21)
In 2016, Vance Said “What Trump Offers Is An Easy Escape From The Pain” And That
“Trump's Promises Are The Needle In America's Collective Vein.” “What Trump offers is
an easy escape from the pain. To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution. He can
bring jobs back simply by punishing offshoring companies into submission. As he told a New
Hampshire crowd-folks all too familiar with the opioid scourge-he can cure the addiction
epidemic by building a Mexican wall and keeping the cartels out. He will spare the United States
from humiliation and military defeat with indiscriminate bombing. It doesn't matter that no
credible military leader has endorsed his plan. He never offers details for how these plans will
work, because he can't. Trump's promises are the needle in America's collective vein.” (J.D. Vance,
Op-Ed, “Opioid Of The Masses,” The Atlantic, 7/4/16)
Vance Wrote That After Trump Lost “Perhaps The Nation Will Trade The Quick High Of
‘Make America Great Again’ For Real Medicine.” “I'm not sure when or how that realization
arrives: maybe in a few months, when Trump loses the election; maybe in a few years, when his
supporters realize that even with a President Trump, their homes and families are still domestic
war zones, their newspapers' obituaries continue to fill with the names of people who died too
soon, and their faith in the American Dream continues to falter. But it will come, and when it
does, I hope Americans cast their gaze to those with the most power to address so many of these
problems: each other. And then, perhaps the nation will trade the quick high of ‘Make America
Great Again’ for real medicine.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Opioid Of The Masses,” The Atlantic, 7/4/16)
Vance: “I Think In Many Ways What Trump Is Is Just Another Opioid. He Is Something
That Is Gong To Take The Pain Away, He Is Going To Make People Feel Better For A Little
While.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 7/1/16)
Vance: “But At The End Of The Day, The Problems Are Still Going To Still Be There And
Donald Trump Isn’t Going To Make Them Any Better.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 7/1/16)
In 2016, Vance Called Trump “Dangerous.” “It's like you guys have no idea the groundswell
of support this guy has and it makes me very sad for my country, because as someone who
thinks that Donald Trump is frankly dangerous, I don't want the lesson that everyone should
learn from 2016 to not take. We may just be in a worse situation four years down the road or
eight years down the road unless there is some recognition of what's going on on the other side
of the country.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
During A 2016 Interview, Vance Said Trump’s Campaign Rhetoric Was “Dangerous.”
INTERVIEWER: “JD, is that a dangerous movement because though it separates us into classes
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rather than talking about how growth can lift everyone up? “VANCE: “I definitely think it’s
dangerous in a lot of ways. One it segregates us into classes.” (The Wall Street Journal, 8/31/16)
Vance: “So I Do Think There Is A Danger In The Way That Trump Talks About Politics
And Ultimately, I Think Fundamentally He Is Not The Right Guy For That Reason.” (The
In 2016, Vance Said, “People Are Not That Strongly Attached To Trump” And Said
Trump Would Get “Crushed” In The General Election. “Thrush: Is there any such thing as
Trumpism after Trump? Vance: People are not that strongly attached to Trump; he is a vehicle to
attach that anger to, but they don't especially love him. He'll say something ridiculous or
offensive, and they'll be like, ‘Well, I mostly agree with him.’ But it's not a deep thing. What
happens to Trumpism after Trump depends on how the Republican Party answers after Trump
gets crushed. If it's going to answer that the party wasn't sufficiently ideological-or what you
need is a true-blue rehash of Reagan's '80 campaign-Trump's voters are going to be pissed and
find someone to project that anger onto. And then it just keeps going.” (Glenn Thrush, “What's Going
On With America's White People?” Politico, 9/12/16)
Vance In 2016: “I’ll Probably Vote Third-Party … But I’m Definitely Not Voting For
Trump. He Exacerbates The Very Worst Tendencies Of People In The Area Where I Grew
Up.” “‘I’ll probably vote third-party,’ said Vance. ‘But I’m definitely not voting for Trump. He
exacerbates the very worst tendencies of people in the area where I grew up.’” (Brent Larkin,
“Suburban Columbus Women Hold Key For Clinton In Ohio,” Plain Dealer, 9/25/16)
In 2016, Vance Wrote That He “Loathed” Trump’s “Obvious Personal Character Flaws.”
“As the son of a white, working-class family, I saw the Donald Trump phenomenon coming
sooner than most. He had captured a zeitgeist in my community, not because they loved Trump
but because they mistrusted the institutions that his opponents - Republican and Democratic -
represented. There was something sympathetic about the affinity so many felt for Trump, even
though I loathed the man's obvious personal character flaws. He was, as American film-maker
and labour activist Michael Moore recently argued, a ‘Molotov cocktail’ to throw into the inner
workings of the elite universe. The system had failed so many in my home town, and Trump was
the vehicle with which they would blow it up.” (JD Vance, Op-Ed, “JD Vance: The Coasts And The
'Flyover Country' - The Great US Divide,” London Evening Standard, 10/28/16)
In 2016, Vance Said He Had Fought Trump “Pretty Robustly.” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR,
NEW YORK TIMES: “Well, I think it depends in large part on how Trump himself reacts to
defeat. If he reacts to a loss graciously like we all expect him to, just kidding, then he may
actually do a good service to the country and allow some healing to take place and hopefully
some constructive government down the road. But if Trump decides to go to war against the Bret
Stephens of the Republican party, those who have fought him, folks like me who fought him
pretty robustly, then I think there's a chance that we're going to have a long-term civil war in the
Republican party where we have to figure out what we really believe.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria
GPS,” 11/6/16)
Vance: “And My View Is That Folks Like Me Would Be Smart To Repudiate The
Intellectual Leaders Of Trump But To Recognize That The Voters Of Trump Actually
Have A Lot To Be Concerned About And That's Why He's Our Candidate.” (CNN’s “Fareed
Zakaria GPS,” 11/6/16)
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In 2016, Vance Said If Hillary Clinton Won, It Would Have To Come With The
Recognition She Won “Because The Other Party's Candidate Was So Bad.” VANCE: “Yes.
But to Bret's point, the '90s were very good on the surface but there were already very serious
planted seeds that caused a lot of problems over the next couple of decades. And I think that
what either for Hillary Clinton to govern effectively or for Trump if he wins to govern
effectively, they need to start with a massive dose of humility. The recognition that if they won,
they won because the other party's candidate was so bad. And with that humility, hopefully, will
come some measure of constructive government. Because without it, I agree with Bret that we're
not going to have a very effective policy or politics in the next few years.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria
GPS,” 11/6/16)
In 2016, Vance Said, “We Have To Reject The Rhetoric Of Trump.” VANCE: “So it
definitely is harder to deal with these cultural issues and you look at all the metrics that are going
on, the white working class especially from the opioid epidemic to family breakdown, all of
these metrics are moving in the wrong direction. So there needs to be a recognition in our
culture, in our policy. And I think that what's important about this is that politics can be upstream
from culture. The discourse that we have as a political group definitely affects the way that our
culture changes and the way that my white working class culture responds to some of these
changes. So to Bret's point, I think we have to reject the rhetoric of Trump but we also have to
recognize that there's really complex factors that are hitting Trump's voters have to be dealt with
and have to be dealt with wisely.” (CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” 11/6/16)
In 2016 After Trump’s Election, Vance Said, “I Continue To Worry That Trump Didn’t
Fully Appreciate The Complexity Of What’s Going On” And Was Worried “About
Whether He’s Going To Make The Problems A Whole Lot Better.” “Still, the 32-year-old
remains somewhat nervous about the policies that Trump espoused on the campaign trail, though
his fingers are crossed. ‘Solutions are complex,’ he noted, ‘and I continue to worry that Trump
didn’t fully appreciate the complexity of what’s going on. Consequently, I worry about whether
he’s going to make the problems a whole lot better. … But I am a Republican, and we really
should give the guy a chance to govern and hope he’s successful.’” (James Hohmann, “The Daily 202:
Why The Author Of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Moving Home To Ohio,” The Washington Post, 12/21/16)
In February 2017, Vance Said Trump “Ran An Angry, Very Adversarial Campaign” That
Vance Added Was “Pretty Cynical.” “For the record, Vance is not a Trump fan. Trump, he
says, ‘ran an angry, very adversarial campaign that in tone matched the frustrations of the people
I wrote about. He certainly ran a pretty cynical campaign, and got a lot of votes from people who
are feeling cynical about the future.’ Vance voted for independent candidate Evan McMullin.”
(Karen Heller, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Made J.D. Vance The Voice Of The Rust Belt. But Does He Want That Job?,” The
In 2017, Vance Criticized Trump For Changing The Focus Of The White Working Class
To Pointing The “Finger At Mexican Immigrants, Or Chinese Trade.” J.D. VANCE: “I
think that this election is really having a negative effect especially on the white working class,
right. Because I think a lot of these grievances are legitimate, but what it is doing is it`s giving
people an excuse to point the finger at someone else. Point the finger at Mexican immigrants, or
Chinese trade, or the Democratic elites or whatever else. And sometimes these villains are
legitimate. I think it`s totally fair to say that the policy elites of the Democratic Party haven`t
been totally concerned about the white working class. But at the same time, fundamentally
what`s going on and what Donald Trump has done is change the focus of the white working class
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from a sort of engaged and constructive politics to a politics of pointing the finger.” (PBS’s “The
Charlie Rose Show,” 8/30/17)
In An October 2016 Appearance On “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance Declared He Was
“A Never Trump Guy” And “Never Liked Him.” J.D. VANCE: “Yeah, exactly. And, you
know, that feeling unfortunately if you think about the political dialogue that we’re already
starting to have, you know, both on the left and the right, there’s a movement to sort of gloat
over the fact that the elites were right about Donald Trump, right. I’m a never Trump guy. I
never liked him.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
Say Trump Was “Going To Be A Terrible Candidate” And “That You Were An Idiot If
You Voted For Him.” VANCE: “And I – but I noticed this willingness from people who think a
lot like I do that, look, we told you so. To all these white working class voters, we told you so.
We told you that Trump was going to be a terrible candidate. We told you that you were an idiot
if you voted for him. The problem is if you take that attitude as sort of gloating over Trump’s
defeat. Then you’re playing into the very thing that gave rise to Trump in the first place, which is
a feeling that the elites think that they are smarter than you and just think you’re a bunch of
idiots.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
Vance Said Trump Was Not The Best Candidate For White-Working Class Voters. J.D.
VANCE: “Absolutely. You think about the slogan, Make America Great Again. The implication
is that America isn’t great right now, and if you’re very unhappy about your life that’s going to
resonate.” CHARLIE ROSE: “Do you think this is a large number of people? Do you think this
is enough people to elect Donald Trump?” J.D. VANCE: “No, I don’t think it’s a large enough
people to elect Donald Trump. Obviously, the demographics of the country have changed a lot,
and the white working class community is still a pretty significant part of the electorate, but it’s
not merely enough to let Donald Trump alone. So, my fear is – you know, I think Donald Trump
is not the right candidate for this group of voters.” CHARLIE ROSE: “Who would have been?”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I don’t know that there was a single candidate who really appealed to these
voters in a way that, one, inspired them, and two, actually had a set of policies that would have
been good for them, either on the Democratic side or on the Republican side. Part of the problem
with this election is in fact that I think that the problems that are unique to some of these
working class communities don’t get a lot of attention, and maybe, you know, hopefully the
book will raise people’s awareness a little bit.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
In 2016, Vance Said He Would “Certainly Not Vote For Trump” And Said Voting For Him
Was “Unacceptable.” “Who will you choose? I will certainly not vote for Trump. I can
understand why it is popular, but I find it unacceptable.” (Hubert Wetzel, “Hillbillies,” Süddeutsche
Zeitung, 10/21/16)
Translate.
Trump And Mocked Trump For Not Telling The Truth. JESSICA LEEDS, SAYS TRUMP
GROPED HER: “These are not memories that you want to go over. It has been somewhat
unnerving since Friday to be rehashing it so many times. You suppress it. It’s not part of your
active thinking every day. But you don’t forget. Somehow or other, the armrest in the seat
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disappeared. And it was a real shock when, all of a sudden, his hands were all over me. He was
like an octopus. It was like he had six arms. He was all over the place. When he started putting
his hand on my skirt, and that was it. That was it. I was out of there. I wish the stewardess would
come and rescue me. And then I decided, I got up. I got my purse. And I said, I’m going back to
my seat in coach.” MATTHEWS: “What do you think of this? This is something, it’s sort of
interesting evocative of the time because of the time because we used to say stewardess first of
all. That was a flight attendant. It just gives us a sense of history. But this woman is not a
showoff. She’s just telling what happened so we can know it.” J.D. VANCE, AUTHOR,
“HILLYBILLY ELEGY”: “Yes, yes. And it’s sort of - - it makes me think that at fundamental,
this is sort of he said/she said, right? And at the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump
who always tells the truth? Just kidding, or do you believe that woman on the tape? And I –”
(MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 10/12/16)
“In October 2016, For Example, Vance Tweeted: ‘What Percentage Of The American
Population Has @RealDonaldTrump Sexually Assaulted?’” (Jessica Wehrman, “Author’s
Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” The Columbus Dispatch, 1/12/18)
Expressing Some Sort Of Racial Resentment” Were Supporting Trump. VANCE: “Well, I
think it’s important to note that definitely some of it is about race. I don’t think you can be
honest and deny that some of it is. But I don’t think most of it’s about race. And so there’s this
interesting question about when you poll people and they express higher levels of racial
animosity or a variety of views that might be described as if not as racist at least as expressing
some sort of racial resentment, what I see in those polls is frankly that they’re following Donald
Trump, not that Donald Trump is following them.” (MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/3/16)
He’s Leading Our Political Discourse To A Very Negative Place.” VANCE: “I think this is a
really important, and frankly a very unfortunate part of the Donald Trump phenomenon. It’s not
just that he’s found a way into these voters’ hearts and into their political preferences, he’s actually
I think leading people in a certain way, and he’s leading our political discourse to a very negative
place.” (MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes,” 8/3/16)
Vance In 2016: “People Listen To What Their Political Leaders Are Telling Them, And My
View Is Both That Trump Is Tapping Into Some Racially Ugly Attitudes, But Also That He
Is Leading People To Racially Ugly Attitudes.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy
Vance: “I Don't Think That 60-70 Percent Of Working-Class White Voters Would Have
Supported A Muslim Ban Before Donald Trump Said Something About A Muslim Ban.”
(Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance: “There Is An Element Here Where I Think It's Not Just That Trump Is Exploiting
Something But He's Also Leading The White Working Class To A Very Dark Place.” (Isaac
Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Racially Insensitive Things.” “OK, but could the Trump package work with these voters if he
weren't so racist? I see what you're saying. There are people who are drawn to Trump because he
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says racially insensitive things.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,”
Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance Said “50-60 Percent Of Donald Trump Supporters Don't Have Attitudes That Are
Actively Racist But Also Don't Have Attitudes That Completely Conform With Modern
Notions Of Equality.” “I think that's probably true and that's why I hope that he is soundly
defeated. I worry that this situation is only going to get worse before it gets better. The way I feel
about this is that probably 50-60 percent of Donald Trump supporters don't have attitudes that
are actively racist but also don't have attitudes that completely conform with modern notions of
equality. I think those people can be won or lost to the cause of more social integration and more
social involvement. It just depends a lot on the political media conversation. I really feel that that
conversation is failing that very large group of voters.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly
Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
In 2016, Vance Said There Was A “Significant Chunk” Of Trump Voters “Who Are Not
Racists.” VANCE: “Well, I think the press has to be nuanced in how it recognizes that there are
some parts that are racial to Donald Trump's appeal, but there are some significant chunk of his
voters and his supporters who are not racists, who are just hurting in a lot of different ways,
some economic, some social, some, like I said, seeing heroin overdoses in the newspaper. And
frankly, at the end of the day, I think Trump is probably going to lose this election, and the
biggest question is, what happens four or eight years from now what kind of conversation are we
having? And if the media wants to do right by the country, I think it should recognize that there
are legitimate hurts in these communities because if it keeps on talking about race, as if it's a
reductionist issue, as if it's the only explanation for Donald Trump's appeal, then it's going to
push a lot of good people away from the national conversation and on to places like the worst
parts of the Internet.” (CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” 8/28/16)
In 2016, When Asked About Hillary Clinton’s “Basket Of Deplorables” Statement, Vance
Said There Was An Element Of Truth In The Statement And Declared That “There Is
Definitely An Element Of Donald Trump’s Support That Has Its Basis In Racism Or
Xenophobia.” JUDY WOODRUFF: “We have been paying attention to something Hillary
Clinton said in describing Donald Trump`s followers. She called them a basket of deplorables. Is
there something to what she said, or is she completely off-base?” J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think
it’s probably both. There are definitely – there is definitely an element of Donald Trump’s
support that has its basis in racism or xenophobia. But a lot of these folks are just really
hardworking people who are struggling in really important ways. And the way that I think about
is that folks can be led by political leaders in one direction or another. They can be pushed or
pulled. And when Hillary Clinton says something like that, it strikes me that she’s pushing
people away from what she wants them to get out of her message.” (PBS’s “NewsHour,” 9/27/16)
Vance: “A Lot Of People Think Trump Is Just The First To Appeal To The Racism And
Xenophobia That Were Already There, But I Think He’s Making The Problem Worse.”
“Finally, what did watching Donald Trump’s speech last night make you think about this fall
campaign, and the future of the country? Well, I think the speech itself was a perfect microcosm
of why I love and am terrified of Donald Trump. On the one hand, he criticized the elites and
actually acknowledge the hurt of so many working class voters. After so many years of
Republican politicians refusing to even talk about factory closures, Trump’s message is an oasis
in the desert. But of course he spent way too much time appealing to people’s fears, and he
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offered zero substance for how to improve their lives. It was Trump at his best and worst. My
biggest fear with Trump is that, because of the failures of the Republican and Democratic elites,
the bar for the white working class is too low. They’re willing to listen to Trump about rapist
immigrants and banning all Muslims because other parts of his message are clearly legitimate. A
lot of people think Trump is just the first to appeal to the racism and xenophobia that were
already there, but I think he’s making the problem worse.” (Rod Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor
White People,” The American Conservative, 7/22/16)
Vance In 2016: “Racism Is Definitely A Part Of The Trump Phenomenon. And I Think To
His Great Discredit, Trump Has Not Disavowed The David Dukes Of The World As
Strongly As He Should.” (Marilou Johanek, The Blade, 9/10/16)
Vance Said He Opposed Trump Since Trump Was Encouraging His Base To Think Of
Their Fellow Citizens “As Scapegoats For All Of Their Problems. He's Taking That
Significant Portion Of The White Working Class Poor, Who Are Not Explicitly Racist, And
Pulling Them In A More Racist Direction.” “Mr. Vance, a Republican, says one reason he is
so against Donald Trump is because he's encouraging his base -- the people and community
known by the author -- to think of their fellow citizens ‘as scapegoats for all of their problems.
He's taking that significant portion of the white working class poor, who are not explicitly racist,
and pulling them in a more racist direction.’” (Marilou Johanek, The Blade, 9/10/16)
Vance: “The Trump People Are Certainly More Racist Than The Average White
Professional, But It Doesn't Strike Me That This Is The 1950s.” “Vance: I certainly think a
lot of liberals are able to see what these people are going through, but there is this weird
obsession-a preoccupation-with the belief that the Trump movement is all about racism. The
Trump people are certainly more racist than the average white professional, but it doesn't strike
me that this is the 1950s. There is a certain amount of racial resentment, but it's paired with
economic insecurity, and a willingness to believe Trump and a lot of the things that he says,
despite evidence that a lot of it isn't true. I really worry if this becomes a selffulfilling prophecy.
If he's couching what he's talking about in a racial resentment, and progressive elites are saying,
‘All these people are racist and xenophobic,’ people's attitudes are going to change and they are
going to become more racist over time. That's probably happening here. I actually think that
Donald Trump is changing the way people think about other groups of people in a very negative
way.” (Glenn Thrush, “What's Going On With America's White People?” Politico, 9/12/16)
In 2016, Vance Said, “If You Think Of The Republican Party Rhetoric, It Is Almost
Designed To Turn Off Black Voters.” J.D. VANCE: I think it’s a winning coalition. I think it’s
possible, but I just don’t think that many people have actually tried, right? I mean, if you think of
the Republican Party rhetoric, it is almost designed to turn off black voters.” (PBS’s “The Charlie
Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
In 2016, Vance Said If Trump Won, “We Could Have An Even Angrier White Working
Class That Hates The Elites Or The Mexicans Or The Chinese, Or Whoever Trump Is
Targeting, Even More.” “Suppose Trump wins after all. Then what about four years from now?
He won't have changed or improved anything. Doesn't the frustration just grow? Clear. Problems
will get bigger no matter who is president. The question is, what do you do with people's anger
and frustration? I'm afraid Trump would do what he has done so far, which is to simply direct the
frustration and anger onto other people and groups. So after four years of Trump we could have
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an even angrier white working class that hates the elites or the Mexicans or the Chinese, or
whoever Trump is targeting, even more.” (Hubert Wetzel, “Hillbillies,” Süddeutsche Zeitung, 10/21/16)
Translate.
In 2016, Vance Said Trump “Doesn't Speak To Issues Of Special Concern Of Minority
Voters Or Black Voters, It's That He Seems To Like Actively Antagonizing A Lot Of The
Black Voters.” J.D. VANCE, ‘HILLBILLY ELEGEY’ AUTHOR: “Yes, well, I think that's
absolutely right, and it's not just that Donald Trump doesn't speak to issues of special concern of
minority voters or black voters, it's that he seems to like actively antagonizing a lot of the black
voters.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 10/24/16)
Vance Said It Had Been The “Republican Party Strategy For 30 Years” And Trump
“Seems To Be Taking That Strategy Just To The Next Level.” VANCE: “Unfortunately,
that's been the Republican Party strategy for 30 years. I say that as a republican who wants the
party to get more black voters. And Trump seems to be taking that strategy just to the next level.
It shows in the polls, right, he's not going to do especially well on Election Day.” (CNN’s “CNN
Tonight,” 10/24/16)
Vance Said Trump “Could Have Had A Chance With African-American Voters, But He
Never Really Tried.” LEMON: “Do you (AUDIO GAP) that Trump ever had any chance
(AUDIO GAP) voters, and did he blow it?” VANCE: “Well, I definitely think that he could have
had a chance with African-American voters, but he never really tried. You know, and other
commentators have talked about President Obama and whether House republicans have
obstructed. But at the end of the day a lot of the problems that exist in the black community, the
black/white wealth gap, the income gap and so forth, these problems are really long term. They
didn't come about during the Obama administration or the Bush administration. And so, it's not
like Donald Trump entered a vacuum where these problems were al of a sudden new. He entered
a problem where republican politics maybe could have made a difference. But he chose not to
focus on those issues. And I really it's his fault and it's going to hurt us on Election Day.” (CNN’s
“CNN Tonight,” 10/24/16)
In October 2016, Vance Said He Found Trump “Reprehensible” Because He Makes

“People I Care About Afraid,” Such As Immigrants And Muslims. “That same month, he
also said: ‘Trump makes people I care about afraid. Immigrants, Muslims, etc. Because of this I
find him reprehensible.’” (Jessica Wehrman, “Author’s Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” The
In 2016 After The Election, Vance Said There Was A “Racist Part Of Trump.” J.D.
VANCE: “Well, if you look at the data, I definitely think there’s a small element of it, but I
really don’t think that’s what’s driving most of these voters. If you think about their lives, you
think about, you know a lot of folks have said they’re not necessarily racist, but they’re
countenancing racism. But if you think about the opioid crisis, if you think about jobs crisis, if
you think about the number of-- of intersecting problems that are going on in these communities,
it’s not so much that-- much that they’re countenancing racism, as if they’re saying, well, we
don’t like that racist part of Trump, but at least he’s offering us something different.” (NBC’s
“Today Show,” 11/13/16)
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Vance In January 2017: “The Message Of Trump’s Campaign Was Obviously Not Super-
Appealing To Latino Americans, Black Americans And So Forth. That Really Bothered
Me.” “Q: You’re a Republican, but you didn’t vote for Trump. Why not? (Vance instead voted
for Evan McMullin, an independent candidate supported by anti-Trump conservatives.) A: A
couple of reasons. He used rhetoric that’s not in the best interest of the party or country. I happen
to think that conservatism, when properly applied to the 21st Century, could actually help
everybody. And the message of Trump’s campaign was obviously not super-appealing to Latino
Americans, black Americans and so forth. That really bothered me. In some ways even more
importantly than that, while I think Trump had clearly diagnosed very real problems, I didn’t see
any real evidence that he had much in the way of positive solutions that would address a lot of
these concerns. . . . I’m sort of taking a wait-and-see approach, but if he doesn’t [provide
solutions], that’s going to leave people in an even worse position than they were four years ago.”
(Henry J. Gomez, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Returns To Ohio To Help Working-Class Pundit,” Plain Dealer, 1/1/17)
In Early 2018, Vance Was Still A Critic Of Trump’s “Dog-Whistle” Politics Related To
Race And Immigration And Was Skeptical Of Trump’s Long-Term Strategy. “The truth is
that his politics are complicated. A year into Trump’s presidency, Vance still has an ambivalent
view of the man, melding awe and discomfort. ‘He is one of the few political leaders in America
that recognises the frustration that exists in large parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky
and so forth,’ Vance says. He has been and remains critical of Trump’s dog-whistle politics
related to race and immigration. And he is sceptical about the president’s long-term strategy.
‘The part that is forward-looking and answers the question ‘What do we do now?’ — it’s just not
there yet.’” (Shawn Donnan, “Hillbilly Elegist JD Vance: ‘The People Calling The Shots Really Screwed Up’,” Financial Times, 2/2/18)
In 2017, Vance Criticized The Idea That Voter Fraud Impacted The 2016 Election “In Any
Significant Way,” Claiming He Just Does Not “See The Evidence.” CAMEROTA: “I didn’t
know we were going to go so far down this rabbit hole but it has been really interesting to hear
both of you. J.D., what did you hear in President Obama’s final press conference yesterday?”
J.D. VANCE: “Well, I mean, one, it was obviously a criticism of the idea that voter fraud
affected the election in any significant way, and I think that’s right. I think Sen. Santorum is right
that there are occasional cases of voter fraud but the idea that it really affects the outcomes in our
election, I just don’t see the evidence.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 1/19/17)
Trump Presidency
You Stop Actually Taking The President Literally.” LEMON: “He said Barack Obama faked
his birth certificate because he was born in Africa. That’s false. We know that. He said thousands
of New Jersey Muslims were on TV celebrating 9/11, false. Ted Cruz’s father had something to
do with Lee Harvey Oswald, false. Let’s not forget the inaugural crowd size, three to five million
illegal voters, and the list goes on and on. There are some Americans who simply cannot trust
President Trump because he is a serial liar. Do you think this time that should be different given
how severe this charge is?” VANCE: “Well, I don’t know if it’s different or not. It’s certainly a
pretty severe charge but I think you get to a point with President Trump where to take a phrase
that Salena coined, you start to take him not literally anymore. And that’s something obviously
Devin Nunes say today during a press conference, which is a pretty striking admission from a
republican leader of Congress to say that these half-truths or lies get to such a point and they’re
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uttered so frequently that you stop actually taking the president literally. That’s a pretty striking
thing for a guy like Devin to say.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 3/7/17)
The Moral Leadership People Want From A President.” BLITZER: “What actually -- get
your reaction to the way President Trump has handled this since saturday. The initial statement
didn't specifically name the KKK, anti-Semites, didn't mention the white supremacists, none of
that by name. He did yesterday. What do you think are the way he's handled this?” VANCE: “I
think the president really missed an opportunity to name this phenomenon and gives people a
sense where it comes from and show the moral leadership people want from a president. The
thing that's important for folks from my political side, the conservative side of the aisle, have to
keep in mind that a lot of the people who feel physically threatened by white supremacists, not
people angry by it, the people who see it get upset by it, that's all of us. The people who feel
physically threatened by it are, by and large, not those who voted for Donald Trump. When they
look to that movement, I think the president needs to show leadership saying you may not have
voted for me but I'm coming out to deplore and criticize that particular movement as strongly as I
would if it was on the other side of the political spectrum. Many a lot felt the president could
have spoken to that. Unfortunately, by not naming it what it was, white supremacism, he missed
an opportunity.” (CNN, 8/15/17)
Then Tell The Country What We Need To Do To Defeat It.” JEFF GLOR: “J.D., from-- from
your vantage point right now, what should the President be doing?” J.D. VANCE: “Well, I think
it is really important for the President to name this particular phenomenon. If you think about all
of the controversy about whether Barack Obama said radical Islamic terrorism, there is a real
human need for people to have their enemies named and described by their political leaders. And
I think the President missed an opportunity over the weekend. Hopefully, an opportunity he will
take advantage of today to name this enemy to describe it and then tell the country what we need
to do to defeat it.” (CBS’s “This Morning,” 8/14/17)
Criticizing” Racism And Nazism. VANCE: “Yes, absolutely. If I was President Trump in this
situation, I'd spike the football. This is one of the things that really unites the entire country.
Racism is bad. Nazism is bad. We fought a war to defeat Nazism. And the president should not
just be -- there's a sense in which he's ambivalent or too cautious about coming out and
criticizing this stuff.” (CNN, 8/15/17)
“Missed Opportunity.” VANCE: “Well, I think it is his charge and I do think that he can do
that. Obviously, it's question of whether he chooses to. What really bothers me about last
weekend is that if you think about how divided this country is along virtually every dimension,
the one thing or one of the few things that really unites us is the idea that Nazis are bad. I mean,
we are the country whose grandparents defeated the Nazis. And so, the fact this provides an
opportunity for the president to go and say this is the thing that should really unite us together,
and it was a missed opportunity. He chose not to name that enemy. He chose not to make it about
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what unifies us as a country. I do think it's a missed opportunity and it will continue to be a
missed opportunity.” (CNN’s “New Day,” 8/15/17)
Going Fantastically Well Right Now” Regarding Trump’s Legislative Priorities. J.D.
VANCE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: “Well, I think it’s a little of both, like some of the folks you
talk to said he has a long leash, right? Folks aren’t going to abandon him in six months. They’re
going to give him a little time to accomplish his agenda. But what you hear, I think you hear
from a lot of different people if you’re on the ground in these areas talking to people is a broad
recognition that things aren’t going fantastically well right now. And whether going well comes
in the form of a big legislative win, whether it means another big victory that Trump can sort of
pin his hat on, there is a recognition that folks think that the president could do a little better.
And if that persists over the next couple of years, and I do think he will lose not all of his base,
but he’ll lose some people. And in a state like Michigan, where he won by 11,000 votes, losing
some could be the difference between re-election and not.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
Economic Recovery Still Hasn’t Fully Set In.” VANCE: “Well, there are a couple of things.
The first is that even if the economy is going broadly well, obviously that economy doing well
doesn’t reach across all sectors of the country. And so, even though you see unemployment
numbers doing reasonably well, what’s happening in places like the industrial Midwest, in
Michigan and Ohio, is that the economic recovery still hasn’t fully set in.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,”
8/4/17)
Really Materialized.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
Vance Noted There Was A “Sense That The President Just Isn’t Able To Deliver.”
VANCE: “And so, when people see the president really going after a major health care reform
effort, and then failing, and when people are still obviously frustrated about the way the health
care system is working right now, that leads to this sense that the president just isn’t able to
deliver.” (CNN’s “Erin Burnett Outfront,” 8/4/17)
The 2020 Election
In November 2020, Vance Said He Did Not See The People Protesting Biden’s Win Would
Become “Violent Or Chaotic.” VANCE: “We’re three weeks after the election and there are
these legal challenges working their way through the courts. And people are just preoccupied that
Trump needs to accept the legitimacy of the election. I think that hypocrisy, the fact that nobody
accepted his election and we’re supposed to accept the election so quickly after its done causes
some real frustration. I don’t think – you look at the last three weeks, you have had a lot of court
filings, you’ve had a lot of peaceful protests, had a lot of people complaining on social media, but
really I don’t see any reason to think that this is going to become violent or chaotic.” (The Megyn
Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
Vance: “Frankly, I Don’t Think These Are The Sorts Of People Who Are Going To Go
Burn Up Stores And Set Cars On Fire And Make Life A Living Hell For Everybody.”
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VANCE: “People certainly feel that they need to fight and they need to see this through to the
end. I think they are supportive of the President continuing the litigation. But frankly, I don’t
think these are the sorts of people who are going to go burn up stores and set cars on fire and
make life a living hell for everybody.” (The Megyn Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
Vance: “I Think When Biden Is Inaugurated People Will More Or Less Accept It And It
Will Be On To The Next Fight.” (The Megyn Kelly Show YouTube Channel, 11/28/20, 4:35-5:50)
Recent Prosecutions (2024)
In February 2024, Vance Posted To Twitter Stating “Between This And Fani Willis’s
Testimony, The Last 24 Hours Have Revealed That Too Many American Courts Have
Become Corrupt Weapons Of The Democratic Party… This Is Disgraceful.” (Vance Profile,
Twitter, 2/16/24)
Republican Politicians – Notable Affiliations

Mike DeWine
In December 2023, Vance Posted To Twitter Expressing His Support For Mike DeWine.
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Liberal Politicians – Notable Affiliations

Hillary Clinton
In 2016, Vance Wrote That The Democratic National Convention Was “A Celebration Of
America’s Promise” And Said The “Cynical Flavor Of Last Week’s Republican
Convention In Cleveland Bore Little Resemblance.” “This week, the Democrats have
gathered in Philadelphia, and though much drama undoubtedly remains, their convention has
already struck an upbeat tone. Hillary Clinton earned the endorsement of her chief rival,
something Trump failed to do. And in some ways, the Democratic convention itself has been a
celebration of America’s promise: The first lady, in an implicit shot at Trump, argued eloquently
that America is already great; Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, striking high notes of optimism,
promised the delegates that ‘we will rise’; and former president Bill Clinton offered a folksy,
loving tribute to his wife. The cynical flavor of last week’s Republican convention in Cleveland
bore little resemblance.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Hey Democrats, Do More Than Talk,” USA Today, 7/28/16)
In 2016, Vance Joked That He “Might Write In My Dog” And Said There Was A Chance
He Would “Hold My Nose” And Vote For Hillary Clinton If Trump Had A Chance To
Win. GROSS: “...What are you going to do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE:
“My current plan is to vote either third party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog
because that’s about as good as it seems. But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like
Trump has a really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for
Hillary Clinton. But at the end of the day, I just feel like she is so culturally disconnected from
the people that I grew up around that it would be very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for
her.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 8/17/16)
In The Same Interview, Vance Said He Planned To Vote For Third Party Candidate Evan
McMullin, Someone “I Really Like,” Since He Couldn’t “Stomach Trump.” GROSS:
“...What are you going to do this election, if you don’t mind saying?” VANCE: “My current plan
is to vote either third party or, as I joked to my wife, I might write in my dog because that’s
about as good as it seems. But, you know, I think there’s a chance, if I feel like Trump has a
really good chance of winning, that I might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton.
But at the end of the day, I just feel like she is so culturally disconnected from the people that I
grew up around that it would be very, very hard for me to cast my ballot for her. So ultimately I
think I’ll probably vote third party. I might vote for this new guy who I really like, Evan
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McMullin, who I actually met the other day. But I think that I’m going to vote third party
to a very dark place. And ultimately I just don’t share Hillary Clinton’s politics.” (NPR’s “Fresh
Air,” 8/17/16)
In 2017, Vance Praised President Bill Clinton, Recalling How He—As A Young Man—
"Admired President Clinton In A Way That Happens When Someone Like You Really
Makes It.” “I wasn't sophisticated enough to have an opinion on that topic, though I watched the
impeachment proceedings like an interested spectator at a sporting event. My politics had started
to drift to the right of my family, many of them classic blue dog Democrats. Still, I admired
President Clinton in a way that happens when someone like you really makes it. … Yet it was
that very relatability that made Mr. Clinton's personal failings frightening. The data shows that
working-class families like mine face much higher rates of marital strife and domestic instability.
Demons like Mr. Clinton's had haunted my home and family for generations, and at an age when
I first began to develop strong feelings about my future, I knew that I wanted to outrun them. I
cared little for Mr. Clinton's elite education, his economic success or even his ascendancy to the
most powerful office in the world. I cared that he had managed to build the domestic tranquillity
that he lacked as a child. But here, in one sex scandal, he had blown it all up. If a man of his
abilities had done this, then what hope was there for me?” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And
Vance: “As My Grandmother Told Me, Presidents Were Almost Always Rich People, But
Bill Clinton Was One Of Us.” “He was a poor boy with a vaguely Southern accent, raised by a
single mother with a heavy dose of loving grandparents. As my grandmother told me, presidents
were almost always rich people, but Bill Clinton was one of us.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama
And Me,” The New York Times, 1/2/17)
Barack Obama
In 2017—While Obama Was Still President—Vance Said He Had “Personal Admiration
For The President.” CAMEROTA: “But, J.D., it’s always interesting to talk to you because of
your book, ‘Hillbilly Elegy,’ where your family sort of personifies the working class in the Rust
Belt that turned away from Democrats in this election and voted for Donald Trump. So, what do
you think all of your folks are feeling at the end of President Obama’s eight years? VANCE:
“Well, I think a lot of them share my personal admiration for the president, and a lot of folks are
looking to turn the page politically. I think one of the failures of the Obama years is the failure to
recognize I think both from Democrats and Republicans this sense of real existential crisis that a
lot of Americans feel. And if you think of the last 15 or so years of politics this way that we sort
of have these big swing elections from one party to the other and I think we are in the middle of
that, we’re in the middle of a very long political moment where folks are very, very unhappy
with how things are going and are constantly looking to turn the page. And I think that is one of
the legacies of the president is that he lived in this moment where there was this constant swing
first to him and to his party, but now away from him and away from his party.” (CNN’s “New Day,”
1/10/17)
In A 2017 New York Times Op-Ed, Vance Called President Obama “An Admirable Man,”
Calling It “One Of The Great Failures Of Recent Political History” That The GOP Was
Not Able To Overcome Their “Legitimate Political Disagreements” With Him. “It is one of
the great failures of recent political history that the Republican Party was too often unable to
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disconnect legitimate political disagreements from the fact that the president himself is an
admirable man. Part of this opposition comes from this uniquely polarized moment in our
politics, part of it comes from Mr. Obama's leadership style -- more disconnected and cerebral
than personal and emotive -- and part of it (though a smaller amount than many on the left
suppose) comes from the color of his skin.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And Me,” The New York
Times, 1/2/17)
• The New York Times Op-Ed Headline: “Barack Obama And Me” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed,
“Barack Obama And Me,” The New York Times, 1/2/17)
While Expressing His Past Differences With Obama, Vance Noted That Obama’s
“Example Offered Something No Other Public Figure Could: Hope.” “I suspected that there
were skeletons lurking in his closet, too. Surely this was a man with a secret sex addiction, or at
least an alcohol problem. I secretly guessed that before the end of his term, some major personal
scandal would reveal his family life to be a sham. I disagreed with many of his positions, so
perhaps a dark part of me wanted such a scandal to come out. But it never came. He and his wife
treated each other with clear love and respect, and he adored and cared for his children.
Whatever scars his childhood left, he refused to let those scars control him. The president's
example offered something no other public figure could: hope. I wanted so desperately to have
what he had -- a happy marriage and beautiful, thriving children. But I thought that those things
belonged to people unlike me, to those who came from money and intact nuclear families. For
the rest of us, past was destiny. Yet here was the president of the United States, a man whose
history looked something like mine but whose future contained something I wanted. His life
stood in stark contrast to my greatest fear.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And Me,” The New York
Times, 1/2/17)
Vance: “For At A Pivotal Time In My Life, Barack Obama Gave Me Hope That A Boy
Who Grew Up Like Me Could Still Achieve The Most Important Of My Dreams. For That,
I'll Miss Him, And The Example He Set.” “On Jan. 20, the political side of my brain will
breathe a sigh of relief at Mr. Obama's departure. I will hope for better policy from the new
administration, a health reform package closer to my ideological preferences, and a new
approach to foreign policy. But the child who so desperately wanted an American dream, with a
happy family at its core will feel something different. For at a pivotal time in my life, Barack
Obama gave me hope that a boy who grew up like me could still achieve the most important of
my dreams. For that, I'll miss him, and the example he set.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Barack Obama And
Vance: “I Continue To Think The Racial Explanation Of The Reaction To Obama Doesn't
Quite Capture How Much Everything About Him Is Both Enviable But Also Dislikable.
Because We Dislike The Things That We Envy.” “Vance plays down this explanation, but I
bring up a line in his book that seems to hint at a racially toned resentment. ‘Obama,’ he writes,
‘strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities’. ‘I think that Obama is everything that the
American meritocracy values at a time when a lot of us feel like the American meritocracy
doesn't value very much about us at all,’ he explains. ‘It is just sort of like everything about him.
He's like the American ideal at the very moment that we feel like we're the opposite of the
American ideal.’ He adds: ‘The natural question that comes - especially in the modern political
context as part of that - is the fact he has black skin. I think for some people that's definitely part
of it. But I continue to think the racial explanation of the reaction to Obama doesn't quite capture
how much everything about him is both enviable but also dislikable. Because we dislike the
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things that we envy.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD Vance On Barack Obama: 'We Dislike The
Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
In 2016, Vance Called Obama’s “Guns And Religion” Comment “Well-Intentioned” But
“Layered With A Certain Amount Of Condescension.” J.D. VANCE: “Yeah. So I think there
is precious little dialogue between these two big cultural segments of America. Sort of middle
America, fly over country, whatever you want to call it. You know, Donald Trump has become
their sort of representative and they’re very proud.” ROSE: “And the trouble in Pennsylvania...”
VANCE: “Exactly.” ROSE: “... in 2008.” VANCE: “Sure, for saying that folks cling to their guns
and religion, right?” ROSE: “Yes.” VANCE: “Which I think was a well-intentioned comments,
right? He mentioned that folks were struggling economically and that was his explanation. But it
was sort of layered with a certain amount of condescension. You don’t – you know, adults that
you respect don’t clings to things, you might have said a much different way and I don’t think the
comment would have had nearly the effect that it did if he’d said it in a much more compassionate
way.” (PBS’s “The Charlie Rose Show,” 10/18/16)
In 2017, Vance Disputed Claims That White Working-Class Voters Supported Trump
Because Of A Racially-Motivated Backlash Against Barack Obama. “‘Trump’s election was
seen, at least in part, as a backlash from white, working-class voters frustrated at their relative
decline in status in America – symbolized, of course, by its first black president. Vance plays
down this explanation, but I bring up a line in his book that seems to hint at a racially toned
resentment. ‘Obama,’ he writes, ‘strikes at the heart of our deepest insecurities.’ ‘I think that
Obama is everything that the American meritocracy values at a time when a lot of us feel like the
American meritocracy doesn’t value very much about us at all,’ he explains. ‘It is just sort of like
everything about him. He’s like the American ideal at the very moment that we feel like we’re
the opposite of the American ideal.’ He adds: ‘The natural question that comes – especially in
the modern political context as part of that – is the fact he has black skin. I think for some people
that’s definitely part of it. But I continue to think the racial explanation of the reaction to Obama
doesn’t quite capture how much everything about him is both enviable but also dislikable.
Because we dislike the things that we envy.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD Vance On Barack
Obama: 'We Dislike The Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
Vance Said That Trump Was More Relatable Than Obama, Because Obama “Talks In A
Way That A Professor Talks” While “Trump Talks Like A Guy At A Bar In West
Virginia.” “There is an arrogance to Obama’s demeanour, he adds, that makes him especially
difficult to relate to. ‘He talks in a way that a professor talks, he talks in a way that you sort of
aspire to talk if you’re a young law student. Trump talks like a guy at a bar in West Virginia.
Trump talks like my dad sitting around the dinner table.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD
Vance On Barack Obama: 'We Dislike The Things We Envy',” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders

In 2019, Vance Said His Three Favorite Democrats In Order In Terms Of Policy Outcomes
Were Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, And Tulsi Gabbard. VANCE: “So I did this event
at the Yale Federalist Society recently where they asked me for my three favorite Democrats
purely in terms of policy outcomes. And I said in order, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and
Tulsi Gabbard.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 26:24-26:48)
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Vance: “And The Reason Is That, One, I Think Those Are The Three Candidates Who Are
The Least Crazy On The Cultural Issues In The Democratic Party And Two, I Think
Those Are The Candidates Least Likely To Start A Stupid War In The Democratic Party.”
(The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 26:24-26:48)
Vance Said That Three Years Before His 2019 Comments, He Said If Sanders Ran Against
Trump In 2020, Sanders Would Win. VANCE: “I think I said this publicly three years ago that
I thought Trump would run against Bernie in 2020 and I thought if he did, Bernie would win. I
think that’s a real possibility.” (The American Conservative YouTube Channel, 6/5/19, 31:25-31:35)
In 2017, Vance Claimed That Trump Was Part Of A Political Realignment, Predicting
That “In 20 Years” Trump And Sen. Bernie Sanders Would Be In The Same Party, While
Paul Ryan And Hillary Clinton Would Be In A Different Party. “This writer pressed Vance
on how to gauge the Trumpian upheaval that has gripped the capitol and filled airports and
public squares with protesters this past week. Vance described an ongoing conversation with
Michael Lind, cofounder of the New America Foundation, and a contributor to Politico. ‘He
argued something that earned a lot of scorn and a lot of derision, but he said basically what we’re
witnessing is a political realignment, which we haven’t seen since the 1930s,’ Vance explained.
Then came this jawdropper: ‘In 20 years, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders will be in the same
party. And in 20 years, Hillary Clinton and Paul Ryan will be in the same party. I think that is
very, very interesting and that shift will be a big part of where we go over the next 20 or 30
years.’ During the Indiana presidential primary, Hoosiers witnessed both Trump and Sanders
insisting that the economic and political systems were ‘rigged.’ Both used the Carrier and United
Technology job flight to Mexico as evidence. But on the ideological spectrum, they were
approaching the vortex seemingly 180 degrees apart.” (Brian Howey, “Trump Ushers In A Political
Realignment,” Journal Review, 2/4/17)
Joe Biden
In 2016, Vance Said Biden “Could Have Done A Lot Better” Than Hillary Clinton.
LEMON: “And I misspoke. That was July. That wasn't today. So what's the issue there and
would Biden have done a better you think?” VANCE: “I think Biden could have done a lot better
because he at least recognized that there's a lot of pain in these communities and what the vice
president said there is very true, that a lot of voters feels so ignored that there was a relatively
low bar. All they wanted was somebody who recognized that they were struggling and who
really sold a political agenda, a political narrative that was tailored to them. Trump was the only
guy that did that this election cycle.” (CNN’s “CNN Tonight,” 11/9/16)
GOP Donors – Commentary
In 2020, Vance Complained That The Republican Party Was “In The Pocket Of Major
Corporate Interests.” “VANCE: Well, if you step back a little bit from our current debates, one
of the things that’s pretty obvious is that the Republican Party has been for far too long in the
pocket of major corporate interests. That’s true in the think tank world in D.C., it’s true for a lot
of major Republican politicians. And I think the Republicans have just so forgotten that there are
real economic, real social challenges in this country that needs to be solved, that they’re
comfortable with just doing whatever the mainstream media says that they should be doing,
instead of actually fighting back in a real and substantive way. Really, the story of the past 30 or
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40 years of American politics, unfortunately, is that in their own different ways, the left and the
right have both found themselves effectively preaching that they’re standing up for the middle
class, when in reality, they’re just standing up for corporate interests. And so unfortunately, I
think the answer to your question is Republicans have just gotten used to not solving real
problems, to not legislating, to not doing the things that they’re supposed to be doing as political
leaders. And this is almost the most important point here, Tucker, if you look at the average
American, black, white, brown, whatever, they’re very sensible. They want common sense
solutions. They recognize that something is pretty broken about our current system. It’s
fundamentally a problem of leadership that we’re not talking about the biggest issues that
confront us as a country. And so, you know, unfortunately, that falls on Republicans just as
much as it does with Democrats.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 6/18/20)
In 2020, Vance Claimed Pressure From Donors Prevented Many Conservatives From
Supporting Economically Populist Policies. “The specter of ‘the donors’ hangs over many
private conversations among conservative intellectuals these days. The donors who provide an
overwhelming share of the capital to conservative campaigns and institutions have quite literally
gotten rich off of the “Washington consensus” of neoliberalism and globalization. Accordingly,
there are things you’re not allowed to say— about tax rates, the social value of financial
engineering, and the size of government, especially—and things you must say—also about tax
rates, the social value of financial engineering, and the size of government. Any departures from
orthodoxy must be qualified—‘this doesn’t mean we’re for big government’—if the check
writers might see or hear.” (JD Vance, “End the Globalization Gravy Train,” The American Mind, 4/21/20)
In 2019, Vance Said That Republican Party Leaders Had Not Recognized That They Were
Now The Party Of Blue Collar Workers Rather Than The “Elites.” VANCE: “Well, at a big
level, the Democratic Party increasingly represents professional class elites.” CARLSON: “Yes.”
VANCE: “And Republicans represent middle and working class wage earners in the middle of
the country. Now, I will say, I think Democratic leaders kind of get this. If you look at the big
proposals from the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates – universal child care, debt free
college, even Medicare-for-All, which is framed as this lurch to the left, but is really just a big
handout to doctors, physicians, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals. They sort of get they
are the party of the professional class and a lot of their policies are geared towards making life
easier for professional class Americans. The problem I have is that my party, the Republican
Party hasn’t quite figured out that we basically inherited a big chunk of the old FDR coalition.
The middle of the country, working in middle class, blue collar folks sort of people who work,
pay their taxes, send their kids to military. That’s increasingly the base of the Republican Party,
but the Republican donor elites are actually not aligned with those folks in a lot of ways and so
there is this really big mismatch, big picture within the Republican Party.” (Fox News’ “Tucker
Vance Questioned Whether The Republican Party Had Done “Anything” For Its Base Of
Blue Collar Workers In The Last 20 Years. VANCE: “Now, look at who Republican voters
increasingly are. They are people who disproportionately serve in the military, but Republican
foreign policy has been a disaster for a lot of veterans. They are disproportionately folks who
want to have more children. They are people who want to have more single earner families. They
are people who don’t necessarily want to go to college but they want to work in an economy
where if you play by the rules, you can you actually support a family on one income.”
CARLSON: “Yes.” VANCE: “Have Republicans done anything for those people really in the
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last 15 or 20 years? I think can you point to some policies of the Trump administration.
Certainly, instinctively, I think the President gets who his voters are and what he has to do to
service those folks. But at the end of the day, the broad elite of the party, the folks who really
call the shots, the think tank intellectuals, the people who write the policy, I just don’t think they
realize who their own voters are.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 7/4/19)
• Vance: “I Just Don’t Think They Realize Who Their Own Voters Are. Now, The
Slightly More Worrying Implication Is That Maybe Some Of Them Do Realize Who
Their Voters Are, They Just Don’t Actually Like Those Voters Much.” (Fox News’
• Vance: “The People Who Spend Their Time In D.C. Who Work On Republican
Campaigns, Who Work At Conservative Think Tanks, Now This Isn’t True Of
Everybody, But A Lot Of Them Actually Don’t Like The People Who Are Voting
For Republican Candidates These Days.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 7/4/19)
In 2018, Vance Criticized “Republican Elites” For Seeking To Make The Party More
Moderate On Social Issues When The Republican Base Was Growing More Socially
Conservative. VANCE: “You’ve got more and more working-class voters voting for
Republicans, like I said, more and more wealthy Suburbanites voting for Democrats. And – and
to me, what – what’s ultimately causing that is that those voters are incredibly socially
progressive, meaning those wealthy Suburbanites are socially progressive. And what you hear
consistently from Republican elites is that we need to moderate on the social issues and – and
chart a really libertarian course on the economic issues. And if you actually listen to Republican
voters, what they’re saying is something like the opposite. They’re socially conservative.” (Fox
• Vance: “They Like The President’s Views On Immigration, They Like The
President’s Views On Abortion. What They Want Us To Do Is Stop Hemorrhaging
Jobs To Folks Overseas. They Want Us To Win Trade Wars Against Mexico And,
Especially, The Chinese.” (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 11/23/18)
Vance: “And That Agenda Is Ultimately, I Think, Where Republican Success In The
Future Lies…Republican Elites Have To Accept That Fact. And – And I Think, You
Know, We Should Be Proud Of The Coalition That We Have And Try To Build On It As
Opposed To Being Ashamed Of That Fact. (Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” 11/23/18)
In 2016, Vance Complained That The Republican Party Had Given The White Working
Class Nothing But “The Basic Republican Policy Platform Of Tax Cuts, Free Trade,
Deregulation, And Paeans To The Noble Businessman And Economic Growth.” “The two
political parties have offered essentially nothing to these people for a few decades. From the
Left, they get some smug condescension, an exasperation that the white working class votes
against their economic interests because of social issues, a la Thomas Frank (more on that
below). Maybe they get a few handouts, but many don’t want handouts to begin with. From the
Right, they’ve gotten the basic Republican policy platform of tax cuts, free trade, deregulation,
and paeans to the noble businessman and economic growth. Whatever the merits of better tax
policy and growth (and I believe there are many), the simple fact is that these policies have done
little to address a very real social crisis.” (Rod Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor White People,” The
American Conservative, 7/22/16)
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• Vance: “These Policies Are Culturally Tone Deaf: Nobody From Southern Ohio
Wants To Hear About The Nobility Of The Factory Owner Who Just Fired Their
Brother.” (Rod Dreher, “Trump: Tribune Of Poor White People,” The American Conservative, 7/22/16)
Libertarians – Commentary
In 2019, Vance Wrote An Op-Ed For First Things Titled “Beyond Libertarianism.” (J.D.
Vance, Op-Ed, “Beyond Libertarianism,” First Things, July 2019)
In 2019, Vance Complained That Conservatives Had “Outsourced” Domestic Policy To

Libertarians, And Should Be More Willing To Use Government Power To Intervene In
The Economy. “The Vermont Democrat doesn’t talk like that anymore. But many of the other
arguments on offer at the National Conservatism Conference wouldn’t sound out of place at a
Bernie 2020 rally — warnings about the dangers of military adventurism, the crushing weight of
student debt, and the corrosive effects of corporate greed. J.D. Vance, the author of ‘Hillbilly
Elegy,’ lamented that conservatives had ‘outsourced’ their domestic policy to libertarians — too
readily embracing the idea that we should accept whatever outcomes the market produces.
Conservatives, he suggested, shouldn’t put up with outcomes that pull families apart and harm
children. And they should ‘be willing to use politics and political power’ to get better results —
shedding their traditional aversion to government intervention in the economy.” (David
Scharfenberg, “The Conservative Spring,” Boston Globe, 9/8/19)
• Vance: “What I Worry About Is That We Have Outsourced, In The Conservative

Movement, Our Economic And Our Domestic Policy Thinking To The
Libertarians.” (JD Vance, Speech to National Conservatism Conference, 7/1/19)
Conservative Media – Commentary
In 2016, Vance Questioned Whether The Right Would “Get Less Racialized And More
Populist And Appealing? Or Will It Become More Like Breitbart?” “‘How it all plays out
depends on political leadership,’ Vance said. ‘Will it get less racialized and more populist and
appealing? Or will it become more like Breitbart? It all depends on how leaders adapt, and
what’s ahead is really murky.’” (Karen Tumulty and Robert Costa, “Win Or Lose, Trumpism May Be Here
To Stay In The GOP,” The Washington Post, 8/19/16)
Vance Criticized Breitbart For Publishing Stories That Barack Obama Is A Foreign
Terrorist. VANCE: “I think we also have to be a little introspective about the fact that that's not
all that's going on. When people read Breitbart every single day and convince themselves that
Barack Obama is a foreign terrorist, that is not a problem of government. That is a problem of
community failure and we have to recognize that.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy
Vance Also Said That “Institutions Of Conservative Media Have Existed For A Long Time
But They Haven't Taken Quite The Conspiratorial Tone That They Have Over The Past
Four Or Five Or Maybe 10 Years.” “But the opinion you just described is essentially bigotry,
and bigotry existed well before Breitbart. The institutions of conservative media have existed for
a long time but they haven't taken quite the conspiratorial tone that they have over the past four
or five or maybe 10 years. This willingness, for example, to believe that 9/11 is an inside job, to
even give credibility to somebody like Alex Jones, to believe that Barack is a foreign alien-I
don't think that has as much to do with racism, especially the 9/11 inside-job talk, as it does with
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a fundamental mistrust of institutions that people used to believe in. Is there a racial element to
it? Absolutely, but there's something about, Why don't people believe what the media tells them
anymore?” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Vance Said If Trump Inevitably Lost, “The Worst Impulses Of The Conservative Media
Will Gain Even More Power And The White Working Class Will Become More Racially
Resentful.” “Option two is that after Trump loses, Breitbart and the worst impulses of the
conservative media will gain even more power and the white working class will become more
racially resentful. I think it leads us to a permanently angry white underclass and I obviously
don't want that to happen.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate,
8/25/16)
Vance Said The Failure Of The Left To Stop Criticizing The White-Working Class As
Racist Would “Push Them Toward The Breitbarts Of The World.” “I think that the left has
a role to play here because I think if you look at these communities and you say, the only thing
that's going on here is that they're racially resentful and they're finally getting the candidate who
reflects their racism, I think you're going to push people further away. I think you're going to
take the people in my community who don't have a racist bone in their body and you're going to
continue to push them toward the Breitbarts of the world. Yes, there is some racial anxiety, yes
there is some explicit racism, but there's also some very real cultural and social isolation going
on. Those people we can appeal to, those people we can bring back into the fold. That's going to
produce a much better political conversation than the one we're having now.” (Isaac Chotiner, “A
Conversation With Hillbilly Elegy Author J.D. Vance.,” Slate, 8/25/16)
Campaign Notes - 2018 Campaign

In A 2017 Interview, Vance Demurred When Asked About Parallels Between His Early
Strides And Those Of President Obama—Including An Ivy League Law Degree And A
Memoir—Claiming It Was “Hard For [Him] To Imagine” Running For Office. “They also
happen to be strikingly similar steps taken by Obama during his earliest strides into politics. He,
too, followed an Ivy League law degree with a foray into nonprofit work – in his case, in
Chicago – and a memoir. Dreams of My Father that wrestled with similar themes of family and
racial identity and was published shortly before Obama ran for Illinois state senate in 1996.
When I point out the parallels, Vance shakes his head and demurs. ‘I definitely don’t see myself
as doing that,” he says. “It is in some ways hard for me to imagine myself running for office,
because the book was so raw. There are a lot of F-words in it.’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author
JD Vance On Barack Obama: ‘We Dislike The Things We Envy’,” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
“But A Few Moments Later, He Adds: ‘You Know, You Mention A Parallel To President
Obama. Maybe He Didn’t Think That Either, Right? Maybe Opportunities Just Presented
Themselves And He Went Forward With Them?’” (Paul Lewis, “Hillbilly Elegy Author JD Vance On
Barack Obama: ‘We Dislike The Things We Envy’,” The Guardian, 1/25/17)
In 2017, Vance Said That He Was Interested In Public Service, But Said “I Haven’t Done
Anything To Enable Me To Run For Office.” “Last year, Vance attended about a dozen
Lincoln Day dinners across the state, said Jai Chabria, a public relations strategist and former top
adviser to Gov. John Kasich. Chabria formed Our Ohio Renewal with Vance. Vance said that
he’s never hidden that he is interested in public service. But he said, ‘I haven’t done anything to
enable me to run for office.’” (Mark Ferenchik, “Well-Traveled Author Finds Home In City,” Columbus
Dispatch, 7/31/17)
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In September 2017, Vance Decided Against Running For Senate. “J.D. Vance, author of the
bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, strongly considered seeking the Republican nomination for
U.S. Senate in Ohio next year, but has decided against a run, he said Thurdsay. Vance, whose
book describes his drugaddicted mother and absentee father in unsparing detail, concluded a run
for office would put too much strain on his young family. His wife, Usha, a clerk to U.S.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, recently gave birth to their first child.” (Molly Ball,
“Hillbilly Elegy Writer Won’t Seek Office,” The Atlantic, 9/14/17)
Vance: “I Felt Like I Had To Take A Serious Look At It Because I Care About The
Direction Of The Party, And People I Respect Encouraged Me To Run … But It Would Have
Been An Objectively Bad Call For My Family.” “‘I felt like I had to take a serious look at it
because I care about the direction of the party, and people I respect encouraged me to run,’
Vance told me. ‘But it would have been an objectively bad call for my family.’” (Molly Ball,
“Hillbilly Elegy Writer Won’t Seek Office,” The Atlantic, 9/14/17)
“Vance Commissioned A Poll That Tested His Viability In The Republican Primaries For
Both Governor And Senate.” (Molly Ball, “Hillbilly Elegy Writer Won’t Seek Office,” The Atlantic,
9/14/17)
“He Was Particularly Concerned That His Opposition To Trump Would Turn Off Base
GOP Voters.” (Molly Ball, “Hillbilly Elegy Writer Won’t Seek Office,” The Atlantic, 9/14/17)
In January 2018, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel Abruptly Dropped Out Of The 2018 Ohio
Senate Race, Citing Unspecified Health Issues With His Wife. “Republican Ohio Treasurer
Josh Mandel announced Friday his withdrawal from the race for U.S. Senate. Mandel, largely
considered the Republican front-runner, cited an unspecified health issue with his wife, Ilana, as
the primary reason. ‘After recent discussions with our family and healthcare professionals, it has
become clear to us that it’s no longer possible for me to be away from home and on the
campaign trail for the time needed to run a US Senate race,’ Mandel said in a written statement.
‘Therefore, I’m writing today to let you know that I am ending my campaign for US Senate in
order to be there for my wife and our three children.’” (Seth A. Richardson, “Mandel Drops Out Of
Senate Race Ohio Politics,” Plain Dealer, 1/6/18)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Urged Vance To Run For Senate After Mandel
Dropped Out. “Top Senate Republicans have quietly reached out to J.D. Vance – the star author
of ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ – about running for Senate in Ohio after the abrupt withdrawal of GOP
candidate Josh Mandel last week. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has spoken
with Vance about a potential bid, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
Mandel announced on Friday that he would exit from the Ohio Senate race – one of the more
high-profile battles in the 2018 midterm elections – due to his wife’s health issues. McConnell
has told associates that he would prioritize the race if Vance jumps in.” (Kevin Robillard, “’Hillbilly
Elegy’ Author Vance Urged To Run For Senate,” Politico, 1/9/18)
A Vance Ally Said Vance Was Seriously Considering Running For Senate, “Many Ohio
Leaders And People” Wanted Vance To Run “Because They Know He Has The Best
Message Against Sherrod Brown In November.” “Gibbons, a Cleveland investment banker,
may face a GOP challenge from U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Wadsworth, who is currently running
for governor, and J.D. Vance, the bestselling author of ‘Hillbilly Elegy.’ Jai Chabria, a former
aide to Ohio Gov. John Kasich and close ally of Vance, said Vance is seriously considering
running for the GOP nomination in the U.S. Senate race. ‘It has been amazing how many Ohio
263
leaders and people who have an interest in the Senate race want J.D. to run because they know
he has the best message against Sherrod Brown in November,’ Chabria said.” (Lynn Hulsey,
“Republican Hopes Cash Delivers Message,” Dayton Daily News, 1/11/18)
Republican Strategists Questioned Vance’s Chances In A Primary, Pointing To Questions

About His Residency, His Past Comments About Donald Trump, And His Policy Positions.
“But Washingtonbased Republicans said the combined issues might haunt Vance. Barry Bennett,
a GOP political consultant, said, ‘Washington seems to be absolutely his primary residence. I
don’t know what address he claims in Ohio, but he’s not living there.’ If Vance decides to get in
the Senate competition, he would battle businessman Mike Gibbons and U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci,
R-Wadsworth, for the GOP nomination. The Republican nomination became up for grabs last
week when state Treasurer Josh Mandel bowed out because of health problems involving his
wife. ‘Not living in Ohio is the first violation,’ said one Republican strategist. ‘But he also has
attacked the president, taken the wrong position on guns and works at a hedge fund. It makes
him sound more like Evan Bayh than someone Ohio Republicans are looking for.’” (Jessica
Wehrman, “Author’s Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” Columbus Dispatch, 1/12/18)
“‘Not Living In Ohio Is The First Violation,’ Said One Republican Strategist. ‘But He Also
Has Attacked The President, Taken The Wrong Position On Guns And Works At A Hedge
Fund. It Makes Him Sound More Like Evan Bayh Than Someone Ohio Republicans Are
Looking For.’” (Jessica Wehrman, “Author’s Candidacy Tainted, Other Republicans Say,” Columbus Dispatch,
1/12/18)
In January 2018, Vance Declined Overtures From Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell To Run For Senate, Saying It Was “Not A Good Time.” “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author
J.D. Vance will not challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci in the Republican race for U.S. Senate.
Vance, 33, of Columbus, was being courted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to run
in the Republican primary, but ultimately decided against a bid. Renacci, who jumped into the
race after a meeting at the White House, was endorsed Friday by the Ohio Republican
Congressional Delegation. Ultimately, President Donald Trump’s pick won out over
McConnell’s. ‘Thanks to everyone who encouraged me to run, but it’s just not a good time,’
Vance wrote on Twitter.” (Jessie Balmert, “Author Vance Won’t Run For U.S. Senate,” Cincinnati Enquirer,
1/20/18)
“J.D. Vance Said In A Tweet Friday He’s Busy With Investment Work, A Nonprofit He
Started To Help Address Ohio’s Opioid Crisis, And A Young Family. So, He Wrote,
“Count Me Out Of Politics For Now.” (“‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author Decides Against Senate Run In Ohio,”
The Associated Press, 1/19/18)
Vance: “I Thought Seriously About Running In August 2017, But Decided That The Time
Was Awful For My Young Family. Some Things Have Changed Since Then, But Not
Enough To Make Running A Good Idea.” (Randy Ludlow, “’Not A Good Time’ To Run, Author Says,”
264
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL

Legal Career Notes
Bar Records
In 2013, Vance Was Admitted To The Kentucky Bar Association. (Kentucky Bar Association
Website, Accessed 5/5/21)
Vance Is An Active Member. (Kentucky Bar Association Website, Accessed 5/5/21)
Vance Has No Record Of Public Discipline. (Kentucky Bar Association Website, Accessed 5/5/21)
Clerk Tenure
After Law School, Vance Clerked In Northern Kentucky. “I did decide that I wanted to clerk.
But instead of walking into the process blindly, I came to know what I wanted out of the
experience—to work for someone I respected, to learn as much as I could, and to be close to
Usha. So Usha and I decided to go through the clerkship process together. We landed in northern
Kentucky, not far from where I grew up. It was the best possible situation. We liked our judicial
bosses so much that we asked them to officiate our wedding.” (J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, p. 219-220)
In The Acknowledgments Of Hillbilly Elegy, Vance Thanks Judge David Bunning. “I've
been fortunate, too, to have mentors and friends of incredible ability, each of whom ensured that
I had access to opportunities I simply didn't deserve. They include: Ron Selby, Mike Stratton,
Shannon Arledge, Shawn Haney, Brad Nelson, David Frum, Matt Johnson, Judge David
Bunning, Reihan Salam, Ajay Royan, Fred Moll, and Peter Thiel. Many of these folks read
versions of the manuscript and provided critical feedback.” (J.D. Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, p. 267)
Bunning Has “Shown A Willingness To Make Decisions That Put Him At Odds With
Conservatives.” “Judge Bunning has shown a willingness to make decisions that put him at odds
with conservatives and he is no stranger to fierce controversies — none fiercer than the case of
Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk who says her religious beliefs prohibit her from sanctioning
same-sex marriage. When Ms. Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses after the Supreme Court
ruling in June that legalized same-sex marriage, Judge Bunning ordered her to resume, and she
refused.” (Richard Pérez-Peña, “Judge Who Jailed Kentucky Clerk Is No Stranger To Controversy,” The New
York Times, 9/3/15)
In 2003, Bunning Ordered A Rural School System To Allow The Gay-Straight Alliance To
Meet On School Grounds And Oversaw The Legal Settlement That Included Anti-
Harassment Sessions For The System’s Students. “Long before he ordered a county clerk to
jail on Thursday for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses, David L. Bunning first drew
attention as a federal judge for a ruling on gay rights. In 2003, he ordered the school system of
rural Boyd County, Ky., to allow a student group, the GayStraight Alliance, to meet on school
grounds. He later oversaw a legal settlement that included anti-harassment sessions for the
system’s students.” (Richard Pérez-Peña, “Judge Who Jailed Kentucky Clerk Is No Stranger To Controversy,”
The New York Times, 9/3/15)
265
“In 2007, Sitting Temporarily On The Sixth Circuit Court Of Appeals, He Was Part Of A
Three-Judge Panel That Unanimously Struck Down A Michigan Law Banning The
Procedure That Abortion Opponents Call Partial-Birth Abortion.” (Richard Pérez-Peña, “Judge
Who Jailed Kentucky Clerk Is No Stranger To Controversy,” The New York Times, 9/3/15)
In 2015, Judge Bunning Ordered Kim Davis, The Rowan County Clerk Who Stopped
Issuing SameSex Marriage Licenses Over Her Religious Beliefs, To Resume Issuing The
Licenses. “Judge Bunning has shown a willingness to make decisions that put him at odds with
conservatives and he is no stranger to fierce controversies — none fiercer than the case of Kim
Davis, the Rowan County clerk who says her religious beliefs prohibit her from sanctioning
same-sex marriage. When Ms. Davis stopped issuing marriage licenses after the Supreme Court
ruling in June that legalized same-sex marriage, Judge Bunning ordered her to resume, and she
refused.” (Richard Pérez-Peña, “Judge Who Jailed Kentucky Clerk Is No Stranger To Controversy,” The New
York Times, 9/3/15)
In September 2015, Bunning Found Davis In Contempt For Defying The Court And
Ordered Her Held In Jail. “On Thursday, Judge Bunning found Ms. Davis in contempt for
defying the federal court and ordered her held in jail. ‘Her good faith belief is simply not a viable
defense,’ the judge, wearing a bow tie, said from the bench. He noted that, ‘I myself have
genuinely held religious beliefs,’ but added that he took an oath of office to uphold the law.”
(Richard Pérez-Peña, “Judge Who Jailed Kentucky Clerk Is No Stranger To Controversy,” The New York Times,
9/3/15)
Sidley Austin
Vance Worked At Sidley Austin In Washington, D.C. VANCE: “No, I didn’t. I actually, I did
spend a little bit of time at Sidley Austin in D.C., though.” (Hugh Hewitt Show, 8/8/16)
In 2020, Purdue Pharma, The Maker Of OxyContin, Agreed To Plead Guilty To Criminal
Charges Related To The Marketing Of The Painkiller And Face Penalties Of $8.3 Billion.
“Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges related
to its marketing of the addictive painkiller, and faces penalties of roughly $8.3 billion, the Justice
Department announced on Wednesday. The settlement could pave the way for a resolution of
thousands of lawsuits brought against the company for its role in a public health crisis that has
killed more than 450,000 Americans since 1999. The company’s owners, members of the
wealthy Sackler family, have agreed to pay $225 million in civil penalties. Prosecutors said the
agreement did not preclude the filing of criminal charges against Purdue executives or individual
Sacklers.” (Jan Hoffman and Katie Benner, “Purdue Pharma Pleads Guilty To Criminal Charges For Opioid
Sales,” The New York Times, 10/21/20)
In A 2017 Op-Ed, Vance Targeted OxyContin. “Partially because of the high costs of those
clinical trials, and partially because of the larger dynamics of the American health-care market,
the development costs of new pharmaceuticals are extremely high. By some estimates, the cost
of developing a new drug reaches as high as $2 billion. Yet the benefits of owning a popular
drug are astronomical: Last year, the highest-selling drug in the United States netted more than
266
$10 billion in revenues. This creates a conundrum for drug developers: how to maximize
blockbuster new therapies without paying the skyhigh costs of drug development. In practice,
this has created a remarkable incentive for big drug companies to repackage already tested and
marketed therapies. And there are a variety of strategies pharmaceutical companies employ:
They can seek extended patent protection for their blockbuster drugs, apply old drugs to new
disease indications, or develop new formulations or delivery mechanisms. This latter strategy
led directly to the nation’s most famous prescription opioid: OxyContin.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA
Vance Noted That Purdue Pharmaceuticals’ Claims About OxyContin Were “Bogus”
And Was The Subject Of Lawsuits Across The Country. “OxyContin, or ‘Oxy’ as it’s often
known, was sold by Purdue Pharmaceuticals and promised ‘smooth and sustained pain control
all day and night.’ Its active ingredient is an old, cheap narcotic. Though Purdue had developed
a technique to delay the full release of the drug’s payload, its claims about all day relief were
bogus — so bogus, in fact, that Purdue was fined about $600 million in 2006 and is now a
defendant in lawsuits all over the country.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of
Painkillers,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/11/17)
Vance Noted That Then-Attorney General Mike DeWine Sued Purdue And Other
Companies And “Correctly” Argued The Companies “Misled Doctors And Their Patients
About The Potential For Opioid Abuse.” “Indeed, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine
recently initiated one such lawsuit against Purdue and other pharmaceutical companies. In the
suit, DeWine correctly argues that drugmakers misled doctors and their patients about the
potential for opioid abuse.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus
Dispatch, 10/11/17)
Vance Wrote That Purdue Acted “Unethically.” “Why was Purdue ever legally permitted to
market these drugs as nonaddictive, all-day pain relievers? Purdue certainly acted unethically,
and may have even acted illegally, but our legal system places one significant barrier between
companies like Purdue and the American consumer: the FDA.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA
Vance Also Wrote That The Problems With OxyContin Were Evident “Almost
Immediately.” “With Oxy, evidence of its potential problems arose almost immediately. A
single dose, for instance, promised to relieve pain for 12 hours. But about half of the enrollees
in OxyContin’s first clinical trial required additional medication before their 12 hours elapsed,
according to one report. And despite the potential for addiction that any narcotic opioid
possesses, Purdue never tested the drug as a six- or eight-hour pain reliever before selling it.
The FDA never required that testing, and the rest is history: OxyContin became one of the most
successful pharmaceutical products in the country, a number of other prescription opioids
followed it onto the market, and America’s consumption of opioid pain medications
skyrocketed.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “FDA Overlooked Danger Of Painkillers,” The Columbus Dispatch,
10/11/17)
267
In 2020, Alibaba, A Chinese Company Which Operates E-Commerce Platforms, Was

Named By Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo As A Company Pompeo Urged American
Companies To Remove From Their Digital Networks. “Alibaba hasn't yet been threatened
with the same kinds of sanctions that US President Donald Trump has proposed or levied against
other Chinese tech firms. And Trump has even spoken fondly of company founder Jack Ma,
calling him a ‘friend of mine’ earlier this year after the Chinese billionaire said he would donate
supplies for fighting the coronavirus pandemic. But the company is on the minds of US officials.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo name-checked Alibaba last week when he urged American
companies to remove ‘untrusted’ Chinese-owned technology from their digital networks. …
Alibaba, which did not respond to requests for comment for this story, operates widely popular
e-commerce platforms, mostly available in China and other Southeast Asian markets. It also
started Alipay, one of the most dominant payment apps in China alongside Tencent's WeChat
Pay.” (Sherisse Pham, “After Tiktok And Wechat, Alibaba Could Be The Next Target In Trump's Tech War,” CNN
Business, 8/13/20)
In 2015, Sidley Austin LLP Represented Kaisa Group Holdings, A Chinese Real Estate
Firm That Was Probed Over Alleged Links To A Former State Official Involved In A
Graft Investigation. “The Shenzhen government is holding talks with several property
developers to orchestrate investments in troubled real estate firm Kaisa Group Holdings Ltd.
(01638.HK), Bloomberg News reported, citing unnamed sources. Kaisa is under probe over
alleged links to Jiang Zunyu, the former security chief of the southern Chinese city who was
taken into custody in a graft investigation. The company failed to make a US$23 million coupon
payment, due Jan. 8, on its US$500 million of 2020 dollar bonds, putting it at risk of becoming
the first mainland developer to default on US currency debt. … Moelis & Co. is in talks with
several Kaisa noteholders, while law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP is representing holders of its
convertible debentures. Kaisa has hired Sidley Austin LLP to advise on debt restructuring.”
(“Shenzhen Govt Holds Talks With Potential Kaisa Investors,” EJ Insight, 1/23/15)
In 2015, Rick Boucher, A Partner At Sidley Austin, Testified Before Congress In Favor Of
Net Neutrality. “Statement of Rick Boucher Partner Sidley Austin, LLP Committee on House
Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology February 25, 2015
Chairman Walden, Ranking Member Eshoo, other distinguished members of the subcommittee. I
very much appreciate the committee's invitation to return to these familiar surroundings and
share with you my thoughts on the best way to preserve network neutrality. From the time of our
first debates on this issue a decade ago, I have been an outspoken advocate and strong supporter
of net neutrality principles and worked with Senator Markey, Congresswoman Eshoo and others
to enshrine those principles in statute. I believed then, as I believe now, that ensuring an open
network is essential to maintaining the Internet as a vibrant medium of commerce and free
expression, of education and healthcare delivery. The Internet is the most versatile and efficient
communications medium yet devised, and it opens the door for instant information and
entertainment availability. To keep it that way, I'm here today to urge the committee to develop a
narrow bipartisan legislative measure that gives statutory permanence and an assured legal
foundation to network neutrality.” (Rick Boucher, Congressional Testimony, House Energy And Commerce
Committee, 2/25/15)
268
In 2015, Sidley Austin Filed An Amicus Brief With The Supreme Court On Behalf Of
Former Military Officials Saying The Patchwork Of Marriage Laws Around The Country
Hurt Military Families And Threatened National Security. “The most influential friend-of-
the-court brief in living memory was filed by a group of retired military officers in a 2003
affirmative action case. When the case was argued, the justices echoed the brief’s argument that
military preparedness would be threatened if service academies could not ensure a diverse officer
corps. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s majority opinion, allowing race-conscious admissions at
public universities, quoted at length from the brief. The law firm that filed the brief, now called
Sidley Austin, has filed a new one by former military officials in the same-sex marriage cases to
be heard next week. Their message this time is that the patchwork of marriage laws around the
country hurts military families and threatens national security.” (Adam Liptak, “In Brief To Justices,
Former Military Officials Support Same-Sex Marriage,” The New York Times, 4/20/15)
Notable Residency History

Vance Was Only A Part-Time Resident Of Ohio Through 2017
Prior To Moving Back To Ohio, Vance Lived In San Francisco – The “Antithesis Of His
Home Town Of Middletown.” “Vance lives in San Francisco — the antithesis of his home town
of Middletown — where he works as a principal in an investment group co-founded by Peter
Thiel, one of the few Silicon Valley poo-bahs to support Trump. But he and his wife, Usha, are
moving to Columbus, most likely by the end of the month. There, he plans to run a small nonprofit
organization ‘to work on battling the opioid crisis and bringing durable capital to the region,’ he
says. ‘I never wanted to be a public intellectual or a talking head. I actually care about solving
some of these things.’” (Karen Heller, “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Made J.D. Vance The Voice Of The Rust Belt. But
Does He Want That Job?,” The Washington Post, 2/6/17)
In 2016, Vance Wrote About His Weekend In San Francisco And His And His Friends’
“Tasty Brunches, Day Trips To Wine Country, Art-Gallery Tours,” Calling It A “Perfectly
Normal Day, By San Francisco Standards.” “A few Saturdays ago, my wife and I spent the
morning volunteering at a community garden in our San Francisco neighborhood. After a few
hours of casual labor, we and the other volunteers dispersed to our respective destinations: tasty
brunches, day trips to wine country, artgallery tours. It was a perfectly normal day, by San
Francisco standards.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed, “Opioid Of The Masses,” The Atlantic, 7/4/16)
A 2017 Interview Described Vance’s Home At The Time As San Francisco. “Now, though,
speaking from his present home in San Francisco, Vance has a message for Red America: as
depressing as the postelection liberal meltdown has been, don't write off the Blues and their
fears. ‘If it's hard for Blue America to see Red America as anything other than a bunch of dumb,
racist rednecks, it's hard for Red America to recognize that many minorities are legitimately
worried about what a Trump presidency means for their family,’ he says. ‘You can believe that
many of the election protesters are hysterical and irrational while also accepting that many of
your fellow citizens have legitimate concerns with a Trump presidency.’” (Rod Dreher, “Hillbilly
Energy: J.D. Vance And The Forces That Elected Trump,” The American Conservative, 1/1/17)
In January 2017, Vance Announced His Intention To Relocate From San Francisco To
Columbus, Choosing The Capital City Over Cincinnati. “Columbus has won the J.D. Vance
sweepstakes. The ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author announced on Tuesday he will relocate from San
Francisco to Columbus, choosing the Ohio capital over Cincinnati as his new home base for
269
building upon the success of his bestselling memoir about growing up poor in Ohio. The
announcement came about a month after Vance, 31, revealed his plans to return to Ohio, where
he hopes to search for solutions to some of the problems he wrote about in his book, including
family trauma, the opioid epidemic and a broken educational pipeline to gainful employment.
Vance succeeded despite coming from a community that struggled with those obstacles,
graduating from Yale Law School and becoming a principal at the Silicon Valley venture capital
firm Mithril Capital Management, an improbable journey for a poor kid from the decaying
industrial city of Middletown between Dayton and Cincinnati.” (Dave Ghose, “J.D. Vance Will Move
To Columbus,” Columbus Monthly, 1/2017)
In January 2017, Vance Began Renting An Apartment In Columbus’s German Village

While Usha Vance “Established A Second Home Base In Washington.” “Adding to the
complexity of their transition, Usha became pregnant last fall. ‘We both really wanted to have a
kid, and we were willing to endure whatever sacrifices were necessary,’ Vance says. He took a
rental apartment in German Village last January, and Usha established a second home base in
Washington with her mother.” (Suzanne Goldsmith, “Profile: 'Hillbilly Elegy' Author J.D. Vance,” Columbus
Monthly, November 2017)
Vance In 2017: “I've Long Worried Whether I've Become A Part Of This Problem. For
Two Years, I'd Lived In Silicon Valley, Surrounded By Other Highly Educated
Transplants With Seemingly Perfect Lives.” “And when we're surrounded by polarized,
ideologically homogeneous crowds, whether online or off, it becomes easier to believe bizarre
things about them. This problem runs in both directions: I've heard ugly words uttered about
‘flyover country’ and some of its inhabitants from welleducated, generally well-meaning people.
I've long worried whether I've become a part of this problem. For two years, I'd lived in Silicon
Valley, surrounded by other highly educated transplants with seemingly perfect lives. It's jarring
to live in a world where every person feels his life will only get better when you came from a
world where many rightfully believe that things have become worse. And I've suspected that this
optimism blinds many in Silicon Valley to the real struggles in other parts of the country. So I
decided to move home, to Ohio. It wasn't an easy choice. I scaled back my commitments to a job
I love because of the relocation. My wife and I worry about the quality of local public schools,
and whether she (a San Diego native) could stand the unpredictable weather.” (J.D. Vance, Op-Ed,
“Why I'm Moving Home,” The New York Times, 3/16/17)
In September 2017, The Washington Post Described Vance As “A Venture Capitalist Living
In Washington.” “Another large crowd at the Main Stage greeted J.D. Vance, author of
"Hillbilly Elegy," last year's breakout memoir of a rough and ragged rural Ohio upbringing. Also
interviewed by Rubenstein, Vance was funny and self-deprecating though somewhat circumspect
when it came to exploring what writing the book had meant to him and what plans he might have
in its wake. Now a venture capitalist living in Washington, he was asked by Rubenstein if he
would consider a run for public office.” (Joe Heim, “At National Book Festival, Divergent American
Stories,” The Washington Post, 9/2/17)
In October 2017, Vance Was Splitting His Residence Between Columbus And Silicon
Valley. “Vance, who splits his residence between Columbus and Silicon Valley, said Central
Ohio exemplifies Case's thesis about middle-market cities.” (Carrie Ghose, “Steve Case, J.D. Vance
Stop In Columbus During Venture Capital Bus Tour,” Columbus Business First, 10/13/17)
270
Vance Was Also “Shuttling Between Washington And A Home In Columbus, Ohio” As His
Wife Was A Clerk To U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts. “Vance, a Republican who works at a
venture capital firm, vowed to keep the talk ‘strictly nonpartisan and viewpoint-neutral, which is
hard to do these days,’ he said to laughter from the audience. But his book has folks asking if he
intends to enter politics. ‘I don't think so, at least not anytime soon,’ said Vance, whose wife,
Usha, is a clerk to U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, which has him shuttling between Washington
and a home in Columbus, Ohio. ‘The honest answer is, you never say never.’” (Michael Paul
William, “The American Dream Seems To Be Eroding, Author Says,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, 10/17/17)
Vance Was Characterized As A “Part-Time Columbus Resident.” “Columbus'

entrepreneurial community is ‘at least starting the discussion,’ America Online co-founder Steve
Case said in last week's Columbus stop of his Rise of the Rest bus tour. He and partner J.D.
Vance, author and part-time Columbus resident, heard from a panel of groups working to attract
veterans, minorities and low-income workers to the industry.” (Carrie Ghose, “Want To Increase
Diversity In Tech? Reach Out And Invite More People In,” Columbus Business First, 10/17/17)
“Though Cincinnati Is Closer To His Hometown, Vance Chose Columbus For Its More
Convenient Airport, Central Location And Availability Of Promising Job Opportunities
For His Wife, Usha, A Lawyer And Fellow Yale Law School Graduate.” (Dave Ghose, “J.D.
Vance Will Move To Columbus,” Columbus Monthly, 1/2017)
271

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Privileged & Confidential

CRIMINAL RECORDS ........................................................................................................... 56

BANKRUPTCIES, JUDGMENTS, & LIENS RECORDS ...................................................... 60

VANCE APPEARED TO BE CRITICAL OF TRUMP’S COMMENTS SURROUNDING

VANCE HAS TIES TO VARIOUS ADDITIONAL TRUMP-ANTAGONISTS ................... 91

VANCE APPEARS TO SUPPORT HIGHER TAXES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT

VANCE WORKED AS A CONTRIBUTOR FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT

VANCE’S CONTROVERSIAL FOREIGN POLICY RECORD .............................................. 129

VANCE HAS TAKEN A POPULIST VIEW ON GLOBAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS

Vance Supported Georgia’s Heartbeat Bill......................................................................... 149

VANCE’S TIES TO MITHRIL CAPITAL COULD CREATE VULNERABILITIES ........ 189

D.C. Criminal Code ............................................................................................................ 219

o In an October 2016 appearance on “The Charlie Rose Show,” Vance declared he

• Vance appears to have embraced non-interventionism.

Marital Status: Married

Partner: Usha Bala Vance (née Chilukuri)

Voter Registration: Registered Republican – , Ohio

Education: 2010 – 2013 J.D., Yale Law School

Employment: 2023 – Pres. Senator, U.S. Senate, Ohio

Associations: Former Editor, Yale Law Journal

Military Service: 2003 – 2007 U.S. Marine Corps

Election Results: 2022 U.S. Senate, Ohio (General, Won)

Web Sites: https://jdvance.com/

Social Media: Facebook (Personal)

2022 General Election, U.S. Senate, Ohio

JD Vance For Senate (2028)

Recipient Aggregate Amount YTD

Recipient Aggregate Amount YTD

o In 2022, Vance Repaid Himself $700,000. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed

JD Vance For Senate (2022)

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

Recipient Aggregate Amount

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• In 2019, Vance Contributed $1,000 To Portman For Senate. (Federal Election

• In 2020, Vance Contributed $500 To Driscoll For Congress. (Federal Election

• In 2021, Vance Contributed $25 To WinRed. (Federal Election Commission, Accessed

o In 2021, Vance Earmarked $25 To His Campaign. (Federal Election Commission,

Ohio Secretary Of State

Ohio State University

(National Student Clearinghouse, Accessed 2/20/24)

PUBLIC COMPENSATION RECORDS

U.S. Senate (2013-Pres.)

(Salaries, U.S. Senate, Accessed 2/20/24)

U.S. Marine Corps (2003-2007)

(SCRA, Accessed 2/23/24)

• Vance Noted That Purdue Pharmaceuticals’ Claims About OxyContin Were

In 2020, Alibaba, A Chinese Company Which Operates E-Commerce Platforms, Was

(Case No. TRD 0610349, Fairborn Municipal Court, Filed 9/7/06)

REAL PROPERTY RECORDS

(Hamilton County Auditor, Accessed 2/20/24)

(Hamilton County Auditor, Accessed 2/20/24)