How JD Vance Leveraged His ‘Hillbilly’ Roots to Rise to Prominence in US Politics | US News

When JD Vance states that he emerged from nothing, he truly means it.

There are numerous clichés that appear to succinctly describe how a child born into poverty can achieve the status of a vice presidential candidate by the age of 39; it serves as nearly the ideal illustration of the “American Dream”.

However, Donald Trump’s choice for vice president isn’t merely a product of his difficult background – rather, he is in this position because of it.

This is how JD Vance transformed his experiences as a self-identified hillbilly into a bestselling book that launched him into the political spotlight.

Hillbilly Elegy

In his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy, Mr Vance, who was raised in a low-income family in southern Ohio, recounts stories of his tumultuous family environment and the communities that deteriorated over time, seemingly losing their sense of hope.

He chronicles his own experiences and how he managed to navigate his turbulent upbringing.

He describes his grandmother, whom he affectionately calls Mamaw, who raised him with “tough love” – at one point setting his Papaw ablaze with gasoline and a match as a punishment for infidelity, leaving him with minor burns.

Then there’s his mother, who struggled to care for him while grappling with addiction and at one time even required him to submit a urine sample for her drug testing.

He analyzes his upbringing in Ohio to reflect on the reasons behind the political shift in working-class Americana of Appalachia, a region spanning 13 states from southern New York to northern Mississippi, from predominantly Democratic to predominantly Republican.

He does this not only by reflecting on his family, but also by observing the distressed community around him. He points out how the hardships faced by the steel industry in the 1970s impacted his city, alongside the ongoing opioid epidemic that affected the nation.

“In Greater Appalachia, the plight of working-class whites appears bleakest. From stagnant social mobility to poverty, divorce, and drug addiction, my home is a source of despair,” he writes in the introduction.

He states that he resonates with “millions of working-class Americans lacking a college degree”.

“For these individuals, poverty is a family legacy – their ancestors were day laborers in the southern slave economy, sharecroppers thereafter, and machinists and millworkers in more recent eras,” he reflects.

“Society labels them hillbillies, rednecks, or white trash. I regard them as neighbors, friends, and family.”

The book was penned by Mr. Vance while he was in his late 20s to early 30s. By this point, he had served in the Marine Corps, graduated from Yale Law School where he met his wife Usha, and had established himself as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

Critical acclaim – and some critiques

For many liberal Americans attempting to grasp why a wealthy New York businessman like Donald Trump connected with so many working-class voters during the 2016 US election, the book served as an eye-opener.

Conservatives also embraced the work, as it criticized the welfare system and highlighted what Mr. Vance perceived as “too many young men resistant to hard work”.

Read more:
Biden leaves TikTok ban decision to Trump
What happens to Trump’s criminal cases now?

It was hailed as “one of the six best books to help comprehend Trump’s victory” by The New York Times and received praise from The Wall Street Journal and The Economist.

Nonetheless, it faced significant criticism, especially from those in Appalachia, who argued it offered a stereotypical and misleading view of the region and poverty in America while overlooking the impact of racism in politics.

National talk shows and columnists, whether in favor of the book or critical of it, contributed to its widespread exposure.

Memoir sells millions

The book rapidly climbed best-seller lists, selling over three million copies before Mr. Trump selected him for the Republican ticket, as reported by his publishers HarperCollins.

Sales of the memoir surged in 2020 after it was adapted into a Netflix film directed by Ron Howard, featuring Amy Adams as Mr. Vance’s mother Bev and Glenn Close as his grandmother.

Mr. Vance was portrayed by Gabriel Basso, while Owen Asztalos played a younger version of him in flashbacks.

As Mr. Vance transitioned from venture capitalism to politics, his visibility continued to rise.

He gained popularity as a political commentator on television and announced his candidacy for the Ohio Senate seat in 2022, ultimately getting elected and sworn into office in January 2023.

Once a ‘never Trumper’

It is evident that Mr. Vance always appreciated Trump’s appeal among voters.

“He communicates in a manner that is very relatable to many; it is one of the aspects where both parties have become increasingly inept, connecting with voters emotionally and instinctively, and I believe Trump excels at this,” he remarked in August 2016 – months prior to Trump’s election.

“He taps into genuine concerns that many share… the feeling that America’s greatest days are behind it and that the future appears bleak.”

While he grasped Trump’s appeal, Mr. Vance was initially quite critical of him back in 2016.

He labeled himself a “never Trumper” and after Trump’s victory, characterized the then-president as an “idiot,” even suggesting he could be “America’s Hitler”.

“I fluctuate between viewing Trump as a cynical jerk akin to Nixon who may not be so harmful (and could even be beneficial) or as America’s Hitler,” Mr. Vance privately expressed to an associate on Facebook in 2016.

When the Hitler remark resurfaced in 2022, a spokesperson did not deny it but stated it no longer reflected Mr. Vance’s viewpoint.

Vance’s Trump U-turn

Mr. Vance, of course, had a change of heart.

The book itself may have played a significant role in this shift, as he is said to have formed a friendship with Donald Trump Jr., who was a notable admirer of the memoir.

The two became acquainted, and by the time Mr. Vance met Mr. Trump in 2021, he had altered his view, citing the achievements of Trump’s presidency as influential.

By the time Mr. Vance launched his Senate campaign in 2022, his displays of loyalty – which included downplaying the January 6 Capitol riots – were sufficient to secure Mr. Trump’s coveted endorsement.

Trump’s backing proved pivotal in his success during a competitive primary.

In interviews, Mr. Vance has mentioned that there was no singular moment that prompted him to change his perspective on Trump. Rather, he claimed to have slowly recognized that his opposition stemmed from stylistic matters rather than substantive ones.

His critics have pointed to this transformation, suggesting he is distancing himself from many of his prior statements, including those made in his memoir.

He recently asserted to The New York Times that he has distanced himself from Hillbilly Elegy to avoid “waking up in 10 years and hating everything I’ve become”.

Fast forward to today, and Mr. Vance is preparing to join Mr. Trump in leading the nation.