The debilitating self-doubt that plagued J.D. Vance upon graduation from high school was replaced by an exciting new self-confidence that he discovered when he succeeded in a particular role, performing in front of television cameras as a media representative in the Marine Corps. It has been replaced.
Mr. Vance has been successful in building relationships with reporters and learning how to stay on message. As he writes in his memoirs, his work spinning at one of the largest military bases on the East Coast won accolades.
This week, on the biggest stage of his life, Mr. Vance used the techniques he learned in the military to spin some of the core issues of the Republican presidential race with a level of skill and shamelessness that few in the party have managed.
In a more than 90-minute speech on stage at the vice presidential debate, Mr. Vance, 40, gave a performance that gave an intellectual and emotional dimension to Donald J. He revealed that he was a more complex person than was portrayed. by his critics.
Mr. Vance, the senator from Ohio, embodied the populism of his ticket in a way that Mr. Trump had not previously wanted or been able to do. Advisors said it was part of a debate strategy designed to appeal to viewers by appearing thoughtful and empathetic. But the question remains whether Mr. Vance has laid the foundation for a new foundation for Trumpism, or whether his vision is just a mirage.
In a sense, Mr. Vance merely exposed the severity of his party’s unpopular positions on the surface, without touching on the fundamental policies that Americans see as problematic.
She demonstrated the ability to express her feelings regarding abortion, especially on issues where her party appeared to be scolding and strict, and recalled a friend in an abusive relationship who considered abortion to be her only option. I got teary-eyed. He vowed to support policies that “give women more choices,” but he stopped short of saying that abortion was not an option for him.
He talked about the “terrible epidemic of gun violence” and stirred emotion in a way that no Republican candidate has had the courage to do. But his solution was not stricter gun regulations, but stricter immigration laws and safer schools.
Mr. Vance sharpened the edges of Trumpism for television viewers, just as he frequently ramped up his attacks on crowds at rallies. We selected the facts that could have the greatest impact and discarded the rest.
For allies, this means Vance’s ability to communicate across multiple media platforms and understand the difference between what gets likes and shares on social media and what looks appealing on your living room TV. It has been proven.
During the debate, Mr. Vance sought to soften the harshness of his party’s unpopular positions without addressing the underlying policies that Americans find problematic. Credit…Yuko Masuike/New York Times
Politics is certainly an art, but so is deception. And to his opponents, Mr. Vance is simply who his audience wants him to be.
“He’s going to lie if that’s the only way to get media attention,” Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, told reporters Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, as the campaign returned from the debate stage to battleground states, Mr. Vance abandoned the air of deference he had displayed the night before.
He mocked the “stupidest” comments he heard from his Democratic debate rival, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, during two events in Michigan. He called Vice President Kamala Harris an “utter disgrace,” describing her as “very unstable” and accusing her of being a source of “division and hatred” in American politics.
Cesar Conda, chief of staff to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and a policy adviser to several Republican presidential candidates, said Vance is the clear heir to Trump’s economic populist movement. He said he had proven that. But Konda questioned whether it would become a permanent fixture in the party.
“Policymakers have to deal with the debt crisis at some point,” Konda said. “But fiscal conservatism is not part of Vance’s economic populism, at least for now.”
Mr. Vance’s allies were surprised, but not shocked, by the command and control he displayed on Tuesday. The boy who spent a summer exploring his great-grandmother’s Appalachian cries and navigated the competitive environment of Yale Law School as an adult recreates the formula he first discovered in the military to help him recover in high-pressure moments. He repeatedly demonstrated his strength.
He compiled his life story into a best-selling memoir. He has weaved his well-documented past as a vicious anti-Trump conservative into the role of Mr. Trump’s running mate.
He also ran his sluggish first political campaign for a Senate seat in Ohio.
For his 2022 campaign, Vance replaced all scheduled speeches with town hall-style events, reviving his struggling campaign. Advisors say this move has allowed him to play to his strengths and run his campaign with more confidence. And it started attracting media attention.
As a finalist in Trump’s vice presidential selection process this year, Vance bet on himself by giving multiple television interviews outside the friendly confines of conservative media to prove his mettle. He and his advisers believed that if they could remain calm during the toughest exchanges, it could be considered a victory.
But Vance didn’t just endure. He never wavered on his support for Trump, including during a particularly heated exchange with George Stephanopoulos on ABC in February. It focused mostly on Trump’s past comments as a Never Trumper, the sexual assault accusations against him, and the riots. The number of Trump supporters at the Capitol and whether the president should defy the Supreme Court.
Immediately after winning the election, Vance faced a barrage of attacks over his past criticism of “childless cat ladies” in power. But concerns within Trump’s campaign began to ease on August 11, when Trump remained calm despite being criticized during interviews on ABC, CBS and CNN’s Sunday morning news programs.
Positive feedback from Trump and his team continues.
After Tuesday’s debate, Trump spent much of the evening privately praising Vance. He also praised Donald Trump Jr., telling people that his son was the driving force behind adding Vance to the ticket, but made it clear that the selection was Trump’s sole decision.
“It just reaffirms my choice,” Trump told Fox News on Wednesday about Vance’s performance.
Jason Miller, a longtime Trump whisperer and senior adviser, praised Vance for showing the nation that he is a “very likable person.” It was a strange compliment, given that the former president built an entire political brand that despised an astonishing list of people, places and things.
When did the former president and his MAGA movement start caring about being liked?
Mr. Miller paused and raised an eyebrow at the question.
“That’s an added bonus,” he said.
Simon J. Levien contributed reporting from Michigan.
