Trump picks onetime critic JD Vance, now a fierce defender, as his running mate

But as Vance geared up to run for the US Senate in Ohio in 2022, he transformed into one of the former president’s most consistent defenders, supporting Trump even when some Senate colleagues declined to do so.

Vance has played down the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. He said he “doubted” Mike Pence’s life was in danger, despite violent protesters getting within yards of the former vice president as Secret Service agents rushed him out of the Capitol building. Vance has also echoed Trump’s criticisms of the way the Justice Department has prosecuted Jan. 6 rioters, accusing the department of disregarding due process protections.

In February, he declined to criticise Trump for encouraging Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack America’s NATO allies if they failed to increase their defence spending.

While the Republican Party historically stood for free markets and embraced foreign intervention as an important national security tool, Trump’s 2016 election opened up significant rifts within the party. Vance has been one of the most vocal opponents of continued aid to Ukraine in the Senate, a stance at odds with many Republican legislative leaders.