JD Vance: From Trump hater to running mate – who is the man?

JD Vance’s career tells a lot about America. On the trail of a man who is as determined as he is ideologically adaptable and who could become Trump’s successor.

“My God, what an idiot,” tweeted JD Vance in October 2016, referring to presidential candidate Donald Trump. Privately, Vance expressed himself even more drastically at the time. Trump is “a cynical asshole” and “America’s Hitler.”

Eight years later, Vance is on the campaign stage at the Republican Convention in Milwaukee as the chosen deputy of America’s would-be dictator. “President Trump gave everything to fight for the people of our country,” Vance said in his first speech as running mate. “He doesn’t need politics, but the country needs him.”

Where does this 180 degree rotation come from? To understand Vance’s change of heart, you have to go deep into the Midwest. The star spoke to a dozen people who have accompanied Vance at various stages of his life. Some have known him since he was a child, others met him later in his career. Some have broken off contact with him, others only wanted to speak anonymously.

The conversations paint a picture of a man who had to learn to survive early on – and whose views became more radical the higher he rose.