Who is JD Vance? From 'never-Trump guy' to his vice president-elect
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance has come a long way since his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" launched him into the national spotlight eight years ago.
And now Vance has reached new heights in his transformative career as he is set to become the United States' 50th vice president after Former President Donald Trump was projected to win the presidential race by ABC News.
Trump ended up with at least 279 electoral votes after clinching wins in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Wisconsin.
TRUMP VP PICK: Former president announces Vance as his running mate
Vance's rise began when he released his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," where he reflects on his upbringing and growing up in a low-income family involved in violence and addiction in Middletown, Ohio -- part of America's Rust Belt.
Vance overcame his childhood struggles and attended Ohio State University and Yale Law School, he recounted in his book. After working at a corporate law firm, he moved to San Francisco to work as a venture capitalist in the tech industry before moving back to Ohio.
A 'never-Trump guy'
Vance's memoir led him to become an emissary between the media, the political class and those who live in the Rust Belt -- a group that helped send Trump to the White House in 2016.
During this time, Vance would make clear his disdain for Trump, saying he was a "never-Trump guy" in an interview with Charlie Rose in 2016.
In August 2016, he told ABC News that he didn't see Trump "offering many solutions."
But Vance would eventually align with the former president, praising his time in office and apologizing for his attacks on him during an interview with Fox News in July 2021. His apology came around the same time Vance entered the race for the open Ohio Senate seat, which became the most competitive GOP primary of the 2022 election cycle.
But one of Vance's close friends -- who spoke to ABC News on the condition of anonymity -- said many media organizations' negative response to Trump contributed to Vance's shift in perception.
"It was a gradual shift that I think was really triggered by the media and the left's overreaction to Trump," the friend said.
Fox News anchor Bret Baier confronted Vance last month about his previous anti-Trump comments.
"Look, I was wrong about Donald Trump. I didn't think he was going to be a good president, Bret," Vance said. "He was a great president, and it's one of the reasons why I'm working so hard to make sure he gets a second term."
The two would go on to mend their relationship, with the former president endorsing Vance in the very crowded Ohio GOP Senate primary in May 2022. The endorsement helped Vance win the primary and general elections in November.
Vance's shift to politics
Prior to embracing Trump and taking on a life in politics, Vance already had a successful life, finding success through his book and work. But by coming out and aligning himself with Trump, Vance left his old lifestyle behind.
"He had the life that most people run for office to get one day -- the elites loved and respected him. But by running for Senate and coming out as pro-Trump, he was knowingly and happily turning his back on those very people. Not many people would make the decision to reject the charmed life that came with being the toast of the elites the way J.D. did," the same close friend told ABC News.
Vance's start in Congress as the junior senator from Ohio began shortly before the East Palestine, Ohio, toxic train derailment, which became the first major disaster Vance responded to as an elected official.
The accident led MAGA-aligned Vance to work with Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, Ohio's senior senator, on Congress' railway safety legislation.
However, Vance has stayed true to his tough conservative brand, including opposing aid to Ukraine.
But as Vance's political stock began to rise, so did his ability to become an effective communicator for Trump's reelection campaign.
During Trump's reelection campaign, Vance played an active surrogate, attending campaign events, doing media hits and helping court wealthy donors for the campaign. Vance attended fundraisers for Trump in Ohio and California and helped organize the June Silicon Valley fundraiser hosted by entrepreneur David Sacks and acted as the point of contact between Sacks and the Trump campaign. The fundraiser raised $12 million.
And on Election Night he called Trump's apparent victory the "greatest political comeback" in U.S. history.
"Well, Mr. President, I appreciate you allowing me to join you on this incredible journey. I thank you for the trust that you placed in me, and I think that we just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of the United States of America," he said.
