J.D. Vance: What to know about Trump's pick for vice president

Former President Donald Trump announced Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice president pick on the first day of the Republican National Convention on Monday. Vance, who has served as a junior U.S. senator in Ohio since 2023, rose to prominence in 2016 with his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

Vance has been viewed as the frontrunner, with high-profile vocal support from people like Donald Trump Jr. Earlier this morning, three black SUVs with government license plates were seen outside of Vance's home, encouraging rumors he would be named the nominee.

"It's an incredible pick," Donald Trump Jr. told CNN at the RNC, referring to Vance. "He's an incredible guy with an incredible story."

Here’s what to know about Trump’s vice president pick.

Who is J.D. Vance?

If elected, Vance, 39, would be one of the youngest vice presidents in U.S. history.

In 2016, he published a memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which described his being brought up in poverty in America's Rust Belt and being surrounded by violence, drug use and addiction from a young age. The book received mainstream attention and was later adapted into a 2020 movie starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

Vance attended Ohio State University before going to Yale Law School, graduating in 2013. He initially worked at a law firm before moving to San Francisco to work in venture capital and worked with Peter Thiel's firm until 2017.

In 2021, Vance decided to enter the race for an Ohio senate seat, which was one of the most competitive GOP primaries that year. It was during his campaign that he apologized for previous comments he had made about Trump and started publicly supporting him, which resulted in Trump endorsing Vance for the position.

What’s Vance’s history with Trump?

Throughout his years in the public eye, Vance has drastically changed his tune on his feelings toward Trump.

Early in his career, Vance was vocal about his dislike for the former president. Throughout 2016, Vance told Charlie Rose he "never liked" Trump; wrote in a New York Times op-ed that Trump was "unfit for our nation's highest office"; in an Atlantic op-ed described Trump as "cultural heroin"; said he couldn't "stomach Trump" in an interview with NPR; and posted multiple tweets — since deleted but uncovered by CNN — that described Trump as "reprehensible" and confirmed Vance did not vote for him in the 2016 election.

Some of the most critical comments about Trump came from leaked Facebook messages between Vance and his former roommate in which Vance called Trump "America's Hitler."

Five years later, while running for the Ohio senate seat, Vance changed his tune. "I've been very open about the fact that I did say those critical things, and I regret them. I regret being wrong about the guy," he told Fox News in 2021.

Last month, Vance reiterated that he "was wrong about Donald Trump." In another interview with Fox News, he said, "He was a great president, and it's one of the reasons why I'm working so hard to make sure he gets a second term."

What are his stances on the issues?

Abortion: Vance is anti-abortion and has argued against rape and incest exceptions for abortion laws.

LGBTQ rights: Vance opposed a bill protecting gay and interracial marriage rights. He describes gender-affirming care for minors as "gruesome, irreversible operations."

Military aid: Vance has openly been critical of the U.S. sending military aid to Ukraine. He has supported sending more funding to Israel amid the Israel-Hamas war.

Climate change: Vance does not believe the climate crisis exists and has called electric vehicle production a "scam."