So when JD Vance got picked as Trump’s running mate for 2024, pretty much everyone did a double take. I mean, Vance was still pretty green in politics. Younger (literally half Trump’s age), not a ton of experience, and—oh yeah—he used to openly drag Trump. But Trump brushed all that off and made it official, saying, “I’ve decided the best person for VP is Senator JD Vance from the great state of Ohio.” Bold move, huh?
On the surface, they’re kind of a weird duo. But apparently, behind the scenes, they click. GOP insider Garrett Ventry told NBC that the two have “chemistry” and are basically “buddies.” But let’s not pretend it’s all sunshine—there’s some weird stuff going on between these two that’s hard to ignore.
Vance Was Super Anti-Trump at First
This one’s kinda wild. Back in 2016, before Trump ever set foot in the White House, JD Vance really didn’t like the guy. On Charlie Rose, he even called himself a “Never Trump” dude. He claimed to get why people liked Trump, but made it clear he wasn’t a fan.
It gets more intense—he literally called Trump “America’s Hitler” in an NPR interview. He said he found Trump “noxious” and couldn’t stomach the guy, accusing him of steering the white working class down a dark path. Fast forward a few years, and Vance suddenly decided Trump was a “great president.” He now says it’s totally okay to admit when you were wrong. Huh. Quite the 180.
Trump Clapped Back with Petty Jabs
Even after Vance basically got on his knees and apologized for all the harsh stuff he said, Trump didn’t just let it slide. At a rally in Ohio in 2022, Trump lowkey roasted him in front of everybody, talking about how hard Vance tried to win him over.
He even downplayed Vance’s role as VP, saying it “barely matters” in elections. Yikes. Talk about a backhanded compliment.
Still, Vance Keeps Making Things Awkward
If you’re wondering whether this relationship is still awkward, oh yeah—it totally is. In late 2024, Vance posted a very strange meme on X (formerly Twitter), showing himself as a housewife serving a USA-shaped turkey to Trump for Thanksgiving. Yep, really.
People online were like, “Uhh, why are you pretending to be his wife?” Others joked that Trump had already “moved on” with Elon Musk. It kind of looked like Vance was just trying to get some attention—because, let’s be honest, Trump loves feeling adored.
Trump Isn’t a Fan of Vance’s Beard
Believe it or not, Vance’s beard has been a weird little controversy too. He’s the first VP in nearly 100 years to have facial hair. Someone close to Trump told The Bulwark that Trump’s always been a clean-shaven guy and isn’t really into beards.
Trump tried to be diplomatic about it, though. He said he wasn’t against beards per se, and joked that Vance looked like “a young Abraham Lincoln.” So… not exactly a glowing review.
They Don’t Always Agree—Especially on Big Stuff
Despite trying to look like a solid team, they’ve had some real messaging issues. Abortion is one glaring example. On NBC’s Meet The Press, Vance claimed Trump would veto a national abortion ban.
But during a debate with Kamala Harris, Trump basically said, “Yeah, we didn’t even talk about that,” and suggested Vance kinda jumped the gun. Oof.
Later on, Vance admitted he messed up and promised to never speak on Trump’s behalf again. He clarified that abortion policy would be left to the states… and probably crossed his fingers that Trump didn’t chew him out afterward.
In Conclusion
It’s a strange, sometimes cringey bromance. One guy used to call the other Hitler, and now they’re posing for memes and trading passive-aggressive digs. Politics really is wild, huh?