What Has JD Vance Said About Top 2024 Election Issues?

Sen. J.D. Vance’s (R-OH) new status as former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate has many asking where he stands on key policy issues. 

For Context: Vance was elected to the Senate in 2022, his first time holding elected office. He previously criticized Trump in 2016, characterizing him as “cultural heroin” and reportedly saying he could be “America’s Hitler.” Since then, he has become an outspoken ally of Trump and of populism within the Republican Party. 

From the Left: Analyses of Vance’s positions often differed along partisan lines. Some coverage from left-rated outlets focused on his abortion and LGBTQ+ stances; NBC News (Lean Left bias) highlighted voices who labeled Vance’s LGBTQ record, including his support for a national felony ban on providing treatments for transgender youth, as “cruel.” Other outlets like NPR (Lean Left bias) described him as “closely aligned with Trump” or a “populist voice.” The 19th (Not Rated) noted that he “has also taken particular aim at prominent Democrats who do not have children.” 

From the Right: Coverage from some right-rated outlets appeared to reflect the intra-party divide between traditional free-market Republicans and Trump’s “MAGA” movement. For instance, while The Dispatch (Lean Right bias) called him an “absolute loyalist to Trump” who symbolized a rejection of “Reaganism,” The Blaze (Right bias) highlighted Vance’s “Christian faith and baptism” and featured a Tucker Carlson quote saying he was “the right VP pick.” Other articles focused on specific issues; for instance, Fox Business (Lean Right bias) discussed Vance’s economic positions.