Who is JD Vance as former Trump critic-turned-ally elected Vice President

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Donald Trump is set to return to the White House following his victory in the 2024 US Presidential Election, with JD Vance by his side as Vice President.

The Republican candidate secured a comfortable victory over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris to be re-elected as the 47th President of the United States, getting the win by taking several key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Georgia.

During election night, Trump took to the stage in West Palm Beach, Florida to give a speech to his supporters, giving a special shout out to his running mate, senator JD Vance.

Trump described Vance as a "feisty guy" and praised his willingness to face the opponents, as well as his loyalty to Trump and resilience.

“I told JD to go into the enemy camp. He just goes, ‘OK. Which one? CNN? MSNBC?’ He’s like the only guy who looks forward to going on and then just absolutely obliterates them,” Trump said.

Poised to become one of the youngest people to take his high profile role, Vance took the stage after Trump and expressed his gratitude for the chance to be part of what he called a 'historic campaign'. “Thank you, President Trump, for the trust that you placed in me,” Vance said to enthusiastic applause and chants of "JD, JD."

He continued: “We just witnessed the greatest political comeback in the history of this country, and under President Trump’s leadership, we’re never going to stop fighting for you, for your dreams, for the future of your children. We’re going to lead the greatest economic comeback in American history.”

Who is JD Vance?

JD Vance was raised in difficult circumstances; his father left, and his mother struggled with addiction, leaving his grandparents to take on his upbringing.

His memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, and its film adaptation, drew from his experiences growing up in Ohio and Kentucky, shedding light on the hardships he faced in a low-income community.

“From low social mobility to poverty to divorce and drug addiction, my home is a hub of misery,” Vance wrote.

Published in the summer of 2016, the book resonated with readers and was seen by some to explain Trump’s election victory, which was largely supported by the white working class.

It quickly became a bestseller, catapulting Vance into the national spotlight.

Vance has been involved in politics across the States since 2022, when he was elected to senate and sworn into office as the Ohio senator the following year.

The 40-year-old will be the third youngest Vice President in US history when he takes to office in January – with the youngest being John Breckinridge, a Democrat who was aged 36 when he took to office in 1875.

He is a father to three children and is married to wife Usha Chilukuri, who he met at law school in Yale.

Trump and Vance's rocky relationship

In 2016, as his memoir was gaining public attention, Vance publicly criticised Trump, calling him an "idiot" and describing him as "reprehensible".

During an interview with Charlie Rose Vance said: "I'm a never Trump guy."

"I never liked him. And I—but I noticed this willingness from people who think a lot like I do that, look, we told you so. To all these white working-class voters, we told you so," he stated.

These comments resurfaced in July when Trump 'tapped' Vance to be his running mate, but by that point, he had become one of his top supporters.

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Vive President Vance could now be in the race for Presidency in 2028 when Trump's four years are over - presidents are only allowed to run for 2 terms in office, not a third, due to the 22nd amendment.

This states: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice". This amendment prevents Trump from seeking a third term in 2028.

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