WASHINGTON: An Indian son-in-law will soon occupy the Naval Observatory residence of the American Vice President in Washington DC. While India can derive joy from this emotional connection, the real story of JD Vance’s miraculous rise in American politics lies in middle America.
Born to a mother struggling with addiction and raised by his grandmother, Vance joined the army and served in Iraq. He used military education benefits to attend Ohio State and later Yale Law School, where he met his wife, Usha.
Vance became deeply concerned with the fate of communities in middle America—places that had lost jobs, succumbed to addiction, and struggled to keep pace with globalisation and technology. His book exploring these themes, “Hillbilly Elegy”, became essential reading after Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, helping readers understand why working-class communities in the de-industrialised heartland had thrown their support behind the New York billionaire.
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The irony was that Vance himself was then a Trump critic. After Yale, he moved to California, became a protege of technologist Peter Thiel, and worked as an investor, while Usha clerked for top judges before joining a law firm. Vance’s perspective eventually shifted—he embraced Trump, successfully ran for the Senate, and became Ohio’s junior senator in 2022.
During this period, he developed close ties with Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, and others in Trump’s circle, ultimately securing his position as Trump’s running mate at the Republican convention in Milwaukee in July 2024. When confronted with controversies over his past remarks about women, trans rights, and Trump himself, Vance adopted his future boss’s aggressive media strategy—cultivating his own audience and base while allowing public attention to move on.
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While January 20, 2025 belongs to Donald Trump, it also places Vance a heartbeat away from the world’s most powerful position, regardless of his standing in Trump’s often whimsically run court.
Vance brings distinct convictions to his role. A fierce critic of globalisation who laments America’s declining manufacturing strength, he harbours deep frustration with China’s impact on American jobs and markets. He will advocate strongly for economic protectionism and industrial revitalisation. Supporting a strong but selective American role in global affairs, he will carefully choose America’s international engagements. As an architect of the new conservative America First intellectual movement, he will amplify nationalist conservative voices in policy discussions. Breaking from Republican orthodoxy, this family man who understands the challenges of child-rearing in America will support family-friendly policies. His two years of Senate experience will likely prove valuable in advancing Trump’s legislative agenda.
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A vice president’s influence depends entirely on the president’s wishes. The role often presents a challenging balance—caught between ceremonial duties and future possibilities while confined to serving as Senate president and presidential advisor. While Vance will face these traditional challenges, for this 40-year-old who takes pride in his Kentucky-buried ancestors, the position offers a unique opportunity to rebuild the American heartland—his life’s passion. How he leverages this opportunity will define his next four years.
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