J.D. Vance Ushers in a New Conservatism

• Donald Trump selected J.D. Vance because he is a capable successor

• Vance’s populist bona fides signals the end of the Reagan-era GOP

• The media portrays him as a radical despite his frequent bipartisan legislative achievements

The story

After years of speculation about a running mate, former President Trump finally chose J.D. Vance. Vance is renowned for his economic populism, Ukraine-aid skepticism, and his tendency to buck traditional Republican orthodoxies.

Trump announced his selection by praising Vance for his long and accomplished career. If one had read Vance’s bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy his difficult past and his ability to pull himself out of it would be a familiar story.

Growing up poor in a troubled family, Vance joined the U.S. Marines and was deployed to Iraq. He subsequently attended Ohio State University and Yale Law School, leading to a successful career that culminated in the publication of his memoir and its adaptation into a Hollywood movie. Vance successfully ran for Senate in 2022, and his rapid political ascent positioned him as the prospective Vice President of the United States.

Trump’s choice of J.D. Vance as his running mate reveals several interesting aspects of his vision for a second term in office. Vance is not a moderate who can necessarily sway on-the-fence independents; he is a young, articulate, whip-smart representative who can carry the post-Trump populist movement into the future.

The politics

After much speculation among conservatives about the V.P. pick, some are surprised to see Vance ascend to the post. Vance is a committed populist ideologue and a much-needed ally in the Senate.

However, most Republicans across the spectrum are celebrating. Even some foreign policy hawks in Congress are praising Vance, despite his intense opposition to funding Ukraine’s battle against Russian aggression.

Some on the right are lamenting the demise of the Reagan-era GOP — marked by free-market economics and aggressive foreign policy interventionism. J.D. Vance is as far removed from that style of Republican as is ideologically possible; in fact, his economic populism and dovishness on foreign affairs are 180 degrees opposite of Reagan-era conservatism.

The GOP seems to have officially shed its neo-liberal identity, and many on the right are learning how to reorient to a more European-style populism.

On the left, some say that Vance’s “worldview is fundamentally incompatible with basic principles of American democracy.” Defending this position in the pages of Vox, writer Zack Beauchamp asserts:

Beyond the headlines

The press has had a field day characterizing J.D. Vance as an extreme MAGA radical, but his record during his brief tenure in the Senate paints quite the opposite picture.

Vance is such a strong defender of workers’ rights that he often crosses party lines to support legislation with progressive Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA). He is also one of many conservatives who supports the work of FTC Chairwoman Lina Khan, scrutinizing monopolistic business practices that, in their view, harm consumers and average Americans.

Vance cosponsored or introduced legislation with Democrat colleagues on numerous occasions; now those same colleagues are ruthlessly attacking him for running alongside Donald Trump.

Much ignored by the media, J.D. Vance marched alongside striking United Auto Workers last year — a political statement rarely risked by a Republican in recent American history. Vance’s economic priorities are far more in line with populist-left figures in American politics than they are with The Establishment, right or left.

With today's political landscape defined as simply opposing the other side's views, critiques against Vance are often just criticisms of Democrat Party postures 20 or 30 years ago. But since Vance is a traditional social conservative and a minority voice expressing opposition to funding Ukraine, he is demonized by the left as a radical, though he often aligns left.

Why it matters

The decision to overlook vice presidential candidates like Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Gov. Doug Burgum (R-ND), and Nikki Haley (R-SC) in favor of a staunch ideologue signifies a shift for Donald Trump. Rather than opting for a moderate to appeal to independent voters, choosing J.D. Vance suggests that Trump believes he has ample breathing room and that the race is not highly competitive.

Donald Trump sought a running mate capable of carrying the torch of the post-Trump conservative movement into the future. While Trump embodies the ethos of the new populist-conservative movement, Vance is the skilled tactician and more refined orator who can truly reshape the GOP’s new identity.