What kind of person is Vance, Trump's nominee for vice president?

Source: Dongbuyaqiao Research Institute

Trump's vice president has finally surfaced. He is James Davis Vance, a federal senator from Ohio.

Trump's choice of Vance as his running mate represents his formal designation of the successor to the MAGA movement. It also shows that he has evolved from his initial suspicion of Vance to now believing that he is a staunch disciple of his own, a person who hates the Republican establishment as much as he does. This shows that he particularly wants to win the support of working-class voters in the Midwest of the United States and win swing states dominated by white people and working class people, such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. It is said that Trump is also very satisfied with Vance's appearance. He thinks he is very photogenic, has good debate skills, and plays golf well.

The support of Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. may also have played an important role. It is said that Trump Jr. spoke ill of Rubio and Bergum in front of Trump every day in the last week before his running mate was determined, saying that they are just mainstream Republican figures and are more inclined to the old school of the Republican Party rather than Trump's populist movement. This is because the relationship between Trump Jr. and Vance is extraordinary. The two are good buddies who text message to communicate every day. People recommended by their own family are still different to Trump.

The following mainly wants to introduce what kind of person Vance is.

Biography

This young American political star, born on August 2, 1984, grew up in Middletown, Ohio. His childhood was not happy. His parents divorced and he lived with his grandparents. Later, he was adopted by his mother's third husband.

When he grew up, Vance joined the US Marine Corps and participated in the battle in Iraq. After retiring from the army, he entered Ohio State University and obtained a bachelor's degree in political science. He then entered Yale Law School to study law and graduated in 2013. While at Yale Law School, he studied under the famous professor Amy Chua, known as the "Tiger Mom", and this experience had an important impact on his career development.

After graduation, Vance worked as a clerk for a federal judge in Kentucky, and then worked for a law firm in San Francisco for a while. His Indian-American wife, Usha Vance, is also a legal person. She is a litigation lawyer at the well-known law firm Munger Tolles & Olson and has served as a clerk for the current conservative US Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh. But Vance soon turned to the business field and joined Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Peter Thiel, as a managing partner. There, he was responsible for evaluating and investing in technology and innovative companies, and this experience enabled him to accumulate rich experience in the fields of technology and finance.

In 2016, Vance published his autobiography "Hillbilly Elegy", which shows his journey from a difficult childhood in Ohio to a Yale Law School graduate and venture capitalist, and tells his profound observations and reflections on the American working class and Appalachian culture. The book quickly became a bestseller, not only winning the love of readers, but also being adapted by Netflix into a movie directed by Ron Howard. Through this book, Vance established himself as a writer and began to engage deeply in public discussions and speeches, which eventually led to his election as a U.S. Senator from Ohio in 2022.

In the spring of 2021, Peter Thiel facilitated a meeting between Trump and Vance, attended by both Thiel and Trump Jr. At that meeting, Vance reportedly emphasized his shared populist views with Trump. In the following months, Vance and Trump formally aligned themselves and became good friends with Trump Jr.

Character Traits

Vance's character traits can be described as tough and multifaceted. From his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, he understands the importance of adversity and perseverance. The recession and the opioid crisis shaped his upbringing, giving him a deep understanding of self-reliance and struggle in adversity. His service in the Marine Corps further honed his discipline and leadership skills. According to some public reports, Vance's friends often mentioned that he had both a warm side and a stern side, and this dual personality made him appear both friendly and firm in his public image.

Vance's appearance change is often mentioned, and it seems to reflect his personality change. At first, he was clean-cut, young and promising, but later he grew a beard and looked more resolute. Some people believe that this is not only a change in appearance, but also a symbol of his inner shift to a tougher political stance. This change, to some extent, reflects his redefinition of his own image and the new message he hopes to convey.

Political Thoughts and Values

Vance's political thoughts have undergone significant changes. In the early days, he was known for criticizing Donald Trump and the rise of populism, but in recent years he has shifted to a position more consistent with Trumpism. This change was once questioned, and many people believed that he changed his position for political interests and was a fence-sitter. But if you observe this person for a long time, you can actually see that his core beliefs remain consistent: He is deeply convinced of the importance of economic populism and cultural conservatism; he firmly supports the working class and criticizes economic policies that have led to the outsourcing of jobs and the decline of industrial America; he pays special attention to the opioid crisis and attributes it to corporate greed and government failure.

Vance's economic views and cultural criticism are closely combined to form the so-called "national conservatism" or "post-liberalism." This ideology is skeptical of big business and is committed to protecting America's traditional values ​​and national identity. These views are increasingly popular within the American right, especially those who try to combine economic populism and cultural conservatism.

In terms of values, Vance attaches great importance to family, community and faith, which is the core of his worldview. He never tires of emphasizing the importance of family ties and believes that family is indispensable in providing stability and support. Some analysts believe that this emphasis on family stems from his childhood experience, when his mother struggled with drug addiction and his grandmother provided the only stable source of life. Vance also firmly believes in the power of community and believes that local communities can provide support and cultivate a sense of belonging. It is also based on this belief that he spares no effort to strengthen the local economy and support the community.

Faith is also an important part of Vance's identity. As a convert to Catholicism, Vance's religious beliefs have profoundly influenced his views on social and moral issues. He regards faith as a guiding force that provides moral clarity and a sense of purpose, criticizes the moral decline of American society, and calls for a return to traditional values.

However, Vance is also quite controversial. For example, his aforementioned shift from anti-Trump to Trumpism is considered speculative by many. His tough stance on cultural wars, calls for "de-awakening", and criticism of elite institutions and the upper class have also raised questions about the inclusiveness and effectiveness of his policy proposals. It has attracted opposition from different parts of the political spectrum.

Technology policy propositions

On the issue of technology policy, Vance's attitude and position are full of contradictions and complexity. He has both a radical anti-establishment stance and supports innovation and technological neutrality.

First, Vance is one of the few people in the Republican Party who supports antitrust reform. He even praised Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairwoman Lina Khan for her efforts in fighting tech giants, saying she was "one of the few people who has done a pretty good job" in the Biden administration. He stressed that a truly competitive market should "promote innovation, encourage competition, and allow consumers to have choices," rather than just focusing on price power in the market. This stance makes Vance stand out a bit, as many in the Republican Party believe that the FTC's actions have exceeded its authority.

On the issue of broadband subsidies, Vance formed an alliance with Democrats as early as early 2024 to try to save a subsidy program that helps 23 million low-income households pay their monthly broadband bills. He believes that Republicans should support the aid program because it benefits many conservative voters, especially those in rural areas. Again, his efforts are contrary to the positions of some Republican leaders (who believe that the program is too large and want to add restrictions to any extension). Although Vance defended the funding in the Senate, he ultimately failed.

On the issue of liability exemption for Internet platforms, Vance advocated during the campaign to repeal Section 230 of the Communications Standards Act, which exempts large platform companies from liability, but made exceptions for smaller platforms, such as the social platform Truth launched by Trump. He believes that big tech companies have a large team of lawyers and will destroy new competitors, so Section 230 can be reformed, but it is necessary to ensure that emerging platforms and small businesses are protected.

In terms of data privacy protection, Vance believes that big tech companies are "stealing our data and selling it to our enemies" and suggests banning such behavior, or at least forcing companies to pay for it. He also challenged the government's data requests, saying that the data collection search warrant in the Trump confidential document case was "unconstitutional."

In the field of artificial intelligence, Vance's position is more complicated. He once signed a joint letter from members of Congress, questioning Google CEO Pichai: Why does Google's Gemini AI model only show "diverse" people when generating images of the founding fathers of the United States or the Pope, and asked Google to at least create a system that accurately reflects objective facts. In an interview, Vance even called Google "one of the most dangerous companies in the world" and demanded that it be split up. However, in the preface written by Kevin Scott, Microsoft's executive vice president and chief technology officer, and in the dialogue for the release of the new book, Vance showed a more moderate attitude, saying that he remained neutral between optimism and pessimism about AI, and believed that AI would help reduce the gap between urban and rural areas and between the rich and the poor.

In terms of cryptocurrency regulation, as a member of the Senate Banking Committee, Vance is promoting a draft bill to reform U.S. regulation of digital assets. This plan will reorganize the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)'s regulation of the cryptocurrency market, responding to industry companies and investors' dissatisfaction with Washington's current approach.

Trade and investment policy advocacy

Since winning his Senate seat in 2022, Vance has publicly supported rebuilding industrial jobs in the Midwest through government policies, especially tariffs and trade barriers.

Vance has expressed strong support for Trump's trade policies, especially on tariffs on China and other U.S. trading partners. The Trump campaign has proposed a 10% tariff on all imports, up to 60% on Chinese goods, and even higher tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles imported through the southern border. Although Vance did not commit to a specific tariff rate, he said he generally supports Trump's strategy.

In terms of opposing foreign acquisitions, Vance called on President Joe Biden to block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japanese steel company Nippon Steel as early as the end of last year, calling it a "deal that auctions off an important part of the U.S. defense industrial base to foreigners." He expressed strong opposition to the deal and put pressure on the government and related companies, accusing U.S. Steel's board of directors of misleading shareholders before the vote. He also criticized Biden for not taking any action to stop the merger despite repeatedly expressing opposition to the deal. Vance also expressed concern about a Czech company's plan to acquire outdoor company Vista, which plays an important role in manufacturing ammunition components for many U.S. police departments.

He is open to devaluing the dollar. Many analysts believe that this may be one of Trump's most destructive trade policy proposals because the move will make imported goods more expensive for American consumers. But Vance expressed support for the effort on the Senate floor, arguing that it would make U.S. exports cheaper, thereby boosting manufacturing jobs.

By making Vance his vice presidential candidate, Trump sent a clear signal to voters and industry that Trump will continue to strengthen tariffs and other trade barriers in his second term and is unlikely to succumb to pressure from financial officials in his camp who advocate free trade. The choice also shows that the Trump campaign is working to consolidate the support of working-class voters in the industrial Midwest and other regions, a voter group that the Biden campaign is also trying to win over.

Vance has made it clear that he hopes to pull working-class voters, especially union members, away from their historic loyalty to the Democratic Party since Roosevelt's New Deal. After the United Auto Workers Union endorsed Biden this year, he told the media: "I recognize that there are some traditional Democratic connections there, but we need to move a lot of these union leaders away from the Democratic Party because this party is not good for workers."

Attitude on China

Vance has a very tough attitude towards China, has criticized China on many occasions, and is a thorough hawk. So don't expect him to do anything good for China after he becomes vice president.

He believes that China is the most important strategic and economic threat to the United States, and advocates that the United States should prioritize focusing resources and attention on dealing with China's influence, especially in East Asia, rather than over-involving conflicts elsewhere, such as Ukraine or the Middle East. The limited industrial and military capabilities of the United States require a focused strategy to deal with China, especially considering the potential threat from Taiwan. Vance is fiercely critical of China's policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and supports the US government's human rights sanctions against China.

He criticized past US policies for giving China an economic and strategic advantage, and the outsourcing of manufacturing has weakened the US industrial base and its ability to produce necessary goods and military equipment, while China has further led to unemployment and a decline in the manufacturing industry for American workers through unfair trade practices. Based on these understandings, he advocates a more aggressive tariff policy against China to ensure the economic interests of the United States.

Vance is particularly concerned about China's activities in the fields of technology and data. He believes that Chinese technology companies pose a threat to the national security and personal privacy of the United States by collecting and using data. He supports strict supervision of Chinese technology companies and advocates prohibiting certain activities of these companies in the US market, especially those involving sensitive data and technology.

Vance also strongly opposed Chinese companies' acquisition of key U.S. industries, especially those involving defense and infrastructure, believing that such mergers and acquisitions could endanger U.S. national security. He called for blocking some Chinese companies' merger proposals and stressed the need to protect U.S. strategic assets from foreign control.