I was surprised by Trump’s selection of J.D. Vance as his running mate. Vance was a late convert to the MAGA cult. He offered several deprecating appraisals of Donald Trump during the runup to the 2016 election, referring to him as “cultural heroin” and fearing Trump could be “America’s Hitler.” Back then, Vance characterized himself as a Never Trumper. It was Vance’s ensuing relationship with Donald Trump, Jr. that reversed his views about Trump, Sr. and may have swayed the ex-President to select the Yale Law School graduate who vaulted onto the national scene with his best-selling memoir Hillbilly Elegy: that and Vance’s fondness among the nation’s white working class. The effort to woo workers was confirmed by the surprise appearance of International Brotherhood of Teamsters President Sean O’Brien giving a primetime speech at the Republican National Convention, much to the consternation of other union leaders.
In a lengthy interview in the New York Times published a month ago before being selected as Trump’s running mate, the junior Ohio senator gave his political views on his populist agenda and economic policy, why he did a 360-degree pivot on his opinions about Donald Trump, and the Republican Party’s agenda for the country. Vance once held up President Obama as a role model because of his ability to find success despite being estranged from his father. He has now gone entirely MAGA, saying he would have contested the 2020 election certification had he been in Vice President Mike Pence’s shoes. During the interview, he did a severe tap dance around various policies, opting for patronizing ideas rather than moral conviction, being careful not to stray from Trump’s positions.
I am confused by his embracing tariffs as beneficial while not acknowledging their regressive nature and the economic pain they cause the very people he is supposedly championing, lower-income Americans. Of course, he had to support Trump’s signature trade policy. Vance views seeking moral clarity as a fanciful discussion. Ultimately, politics is all about the quest for power. This young man has ambitions and will say and do whatever is necessary to achieve his goals. Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that Vance would be an asset in crucial swing states because he connects with the “hardworking men and women of our country.”
Republican strategists are concerned that while Trump received goodwill empathy for having escaped the assassin’s bullet, that has not translated into any positive movement in the polls. According to the 538 polling site, Trump’s 2 percent margin remains virtually unchanged before or after the attack. It is too soon to see whether Vance’s addition to the ticket will have an impact. His populist MAGA message resonates well with men. Still, his draconian abortion stance—no exception for rape and incest and only to save the mother’s life—is not striking any chords with women voters. Republicans think they may have an answer. Enter stage left, Usha Chilukuri Vance, who could be their wonder woman.
The Vances met at Yale Law School after Usha graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in history at Yale and earned a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, which she attended on a prestigious Gates Cambridge scholarship. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants who raised her in San Diego. Her mother, a microbiologist, is a provost at the University of California at San Diego. Her father is an aerospace engineer and lecturer at San Diego State University. Usha clerked for Brett Kavanaugh at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and later for Chief Justice John Roberts. She and J.D. Vance were married in 2014 and have three children. He says, “She is way more accomplished than I am.” She could be as impactful as Michelle Obama if they make it to the White House.
Her presence could be part of the Republicans’ battleground strategy as Indian Americans are the second largest immigrant population in the United States. Though strongly Democratic, she could help attract enough voters to tip the scales in several crucial states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. She counterbalances Vice President Kamala Harris, who is also of Indian descent. Usha Vance seems to keep her distance from her husband’s political life, but she has his ear, and it will be interesting to see her influence. She’s already been attacked by the MAGA crowd.
Republicans are using their national convening to promote an air of invincibility, touting complete party unity, while Democrats appear fractured and despondent. The media are going along for the ride, suggesting at times that the 2024 presidential election is a foregone conclusion. Their only question is whether Republicans can make it a trifecta by keeping the House and reclaiming the Senate. I am not throwing in the towel, but Democrats need their best players on the field. As Financial Times Associate Editor Edward Luce remarked, “Seems people prefer a probable loss to the risk of winning.”