Vice Presidential Spotlight
By Jason Collins
From Hillbilly Elegy to the Senate: JD Vance’s Rise and How He Stacks Up Against Tim Walz
It’s been more than a month since Donald Trump announced his vice president pick at the Republican National Convention, and what a whirlwind it has been so far. Since Kamala Harris announced that Minnesota governor Tim Walz is her VP pick, Walz and Vance have been hustling to introduce themselves to the country.
This article will examine Trump’s new right-hand man, his policy views, and how he compares to Walz.
From Enemies to Friends
When Trump announced that the Ohio senator would be his pick for vice president, the question on some people’s minds was, “Did Trump choose the guy who once compared him to Hitler as his vice president?”
Yes, he did.
Trump’s choice may seem surprising, to say the least, considering that at one point, Vance made his dislike of him clear. In 2016, Vance articulated his opinion on Trump by writing, “back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a–hole like Nixon who wouldn’t be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he’s America’s Hitler.” At the time, Vance rose to fame after publishing his 2016 memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
During this time and with plenty of media attention, Vance had doubled down on his stance that Trump was “reprehensible” and “an idiot.” His memoir touched on problems like violence and drug addiction that many poorer Americans were fighting with and felt that Trump was offering no solutions at the time.
So, what changed?
When Vance launched his senate campaign in 2021, he changed his tune about the former president and businessman. In a 2021 Fox News interview, Vance admitted to saying those things about Trump and how he deeply regretted it. Thanks to Trump’s backing, flash forward to 2022, and Vance won his senate seat.
But that wasn’t all. Trump’s base wanted someone like Vance instead of a generic Republican like Marco Rubio. Vance is young, a populist, and a rising star in the GOP. He represents someone Trump can pass the MAGA torch to after he’s retired.
Who is Tim Walz?
Before he became Minnesota governor, Walz was a Nebraska geography teacher who then ran for Congress in 2006. By 2018, he was governor and was reelected in 2022. Before Harris chose Walz as her VP pick, he wasn’t that widely known outside of Minnesota, but since his speech at the DNC, Walz has been seen as a positive addition to the Democratic party.
Why did Harris pick Walz?
According to AP News, Harris was impressed with Walz’s strong record as governor and congressman. Walz presents himself as a Midwest dad and is known for his plain-spoken but sharp tongue. Waltz has also been involved in veteran issues, considering he has 24 years of service under his belt although his military record became a topic for a brief time during the 48-hour media cycle.
JD Vance’s Popular Stance With Republicans
Both Trump and Harris brought in candidates with Midwestern roots. Vance, a senator from Ohio, leans into his Midwestern background, upbringing, and conservative opinions.
For example, when it comes to immigration issues, Vance sings the same song as Trump and blames the ongoing migrant crisis on the Biden administration and Harris. In an ABC News interview, Vance backed Trump’s mass deportation plan and explained,
How do you deport 18 million people? Let’s start with 1 million. That’s where Kamala Harris has failed. And then we can go from there.
Vance is also a popular choice among Republicans because of his stance on American foreign policy. He has been casting doubt on U.S. alliances and military commitments. In a nutshell, he’s a Republican populist who doesn’t believe America should be involved in foreign wars while the poor and middle-class struggle at home.
He believes that foreign policy starts at home. For example, when the Biden administration passed the $61 billion package of military aid for Ukraine, Vance vocally opposed the aid. Bronwen Maddox, CEO of the London-based international affairs Chatham House, said that Vance’s stance is a
…big break from the old Atlanticist view that the U.S. is there in lockstep with Europe to underpin a certain set of values and the security of the countries that represent those values.
Vance’s key stance is that he opposes a “forever war” in Ukraine. During a speech at the RNC, Vance told the audience that it was in the country’s best interest that Ukraine cede territory to Russia. He also said,
Together, we will make sure our allies share in the burden of securing world peace. No more free rides for nations that betray the generosity of the American taxpayer.
Vance echoes Trump’s “America First” ideology, which may prove successful amongst Republicans.
Walz’s Popular Stance With Democrats
Before Walz’s appearance at the DNC, many Democrats had zero opinion on the man and were curious about why Harris had picked him. However, during his DNC speech, it became clear to Democrats why Walz is a great choice for the party and why his presence appeals to rural and working-class voters.
Walz’s ideology aligns with those of the Democratic party, and he has voted in favor of things like the Affordable Care Act, raising the minimum wage, and reducing carbon emissions. During his second gubernatorial term, Walz worked with Democrats to protect abortion rights, introduce paid family leave, invest in affordable housing, and even strengthen gun laws.
With his 24 years of service to the Army National Guard, Harris’s campaign feels he will be a “tireless advocate for our men and women in uniform.” Walz brings this experience to his stance on tightening gun control laws, including signing a ban in Minnesota.
A core issue that the Democratic party has long been fighting for is abortion rights, and Walz is a big supporter of protecting reproductive rights. Time reported that he once said, “Abortion is healthcare.” Walz also opposes restrictions on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) since he and his wife struggled with fertility issues for many years. Walz called out anti-abortion supporters, including his rival Vance, saying,
If it was up to him, I wouldn’t have a family because of IVF.
How Does Vance Compare To Walz?
Vance and Walz differ on things like abortion rights, foreign adventurism, and IVF regulations. For example, Vance opposes abortion as healthcare. Like Trump, Vance believes that abortion policies should be left up to each state and not the federal government. However, they both appear to be championing gun rights and claim to be supporters of the Second Amendment. They have different views on how to curb the gun violence epidemic.
Walz, who in the past has admitted to being an avid hunter and once supported the National Rifle Association, changed his tune after the mass shooting at a Florida high school in 2018. In 2023, Walz signed a bunch of gun safety laws that created red flags, increased waiting periods for gun transfers, and expanded background checks, which is something that Harris is also prioritizing. Vance takes a slightly different approach and feels that proposed red flag laws are a slippery slope and don’t solve the problem of gun violence. Instead of creating new regulations and bans, Vance feels,
We need to fix the system we have that has problems as opposed to layering on a bunch of new regulations and laws on top of it.
Vance and Walz are well-liked within their respective parties, but comparing Vance to Walz, data from the polls shows that Walz is currently more well-liked than Vance. A poll from the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that 36% of U.S. adults had a favorable view of Walz, and 27% had a favorable view of Vance. However, the poll also highlighted that Americans don’t know enough about both candidates to have a complete opinion of them.
A debate between the two would be a good opportunity for Americans to further get to know these two VP candidates and their take on trending issues right now. In a social media post, the Harris campaign accepted CBS’ invitation to a Vice Presidential Candidate Debate on October 1. For Vance and the American people, this debate is an opportunity to “do a real exchange of views.”
