COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance is a 39-year-old Republican now in his first term in the Senate. He made a name for himself with his memoir, the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was published in 2016 as Trump was first running for president.
Vance was a never-Trumper in 2016, calling Trump “dangerous” and “unfit” for office. But by the time Vance met Trump in 2021, he had reversed his opinion, citing Trump’s accomplishments as president.
Trump endorsed Vance in his 2022 bid for U.S. Senate, and Vance is now one of the former president's fiercest allies on Capitol Hill.