As you may already know, Former President Donald Trump announced his running mate JD Vance at the Republican National Convention and now people are desperate to learn more about him. Believe it or not, Vance was once “Anti-Trump”. He didn’t respect the guy, nicknaming Trump as “America’s Hitler” in 2016. He utilized other words like “I can’t stomach Trump” or “Trump is unfit for the nation’s highest office” to articulate his feelings and void for him. I was reading an article from Politico and they utilized the article as a way to display Vance’s hatred for Trump in 2016 but I think it was moment of reflection for Vance. This was the moment Vance knew Trump was the perfect candidate for America. This article was an opinion pitch from New York Times called “Why Trump’s message resonates with White America”.
“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office. But to those humiliated by defeat, he promises we’ll win again. To those discouraged by a government unable to care for the people it sent to war, he promises to take care of our veterans. To those voters furious at politicians who sent their children to fight and bleed and die in Iraq, he tells them what no major Republican politician in a decade has said”
In the article, he was critical of Trump’s stance on ending war in Iraq and Trump’s promises to the America people. He shared how his grandmother knew a life of endless wars and no longer support Bush’s attack on Iraq. America’s first invasion on Iraq introduced an bloody battle, and a death to new recruits in the military. A sacrifice that America could have prevented if they took an different approach to conflict. I think it was his first supportive stance of Trump because Trump took an different approach that most Republicans forbid taking. It took Vance 13 years to realize what his grandmother has been telling him all along.
We can always do an deep dive in the archives to dismantle someone’s relationship with another. I think Vance’s disapproval of Trump before 2016 is an reflection of myself. Yes, there was a point in my life when I did not like Trump but I couldn’t explain why. I couldn’t explain my hatred for him because I was conditioned that Pro-Trump was Pro-Slavery. I was taught that Trump never cared about black people. I was taught to hated patriarchy. That was a time when I didn’t understand politics.
I think what mainstream media fails to understand is that people’s opinions change as you get older… that’s growth, that’s wisdom. I think many Americans in 2016 like myself and Vance was conditioned to have this internal hatred for Trump with no real explanation on why. This reflection made me resonate on an moment that I had with another student while I was in college. I was an resident assistant at the time and I remember having a one on one meeting with this student about his academics and personal life. We were sharing our thoughts about the 2020 presidential election and he asked me why I don’t like Trump. I remember saying that I think Biden is a better candidate and having a woman as VP is the representation we needed for black America. I was dumb because that’s identity politics. I’m learning how to vote for people who support my moral beliefs and values. I think that’s why this upcoming election carry a lot of weight to the American people. I’m starting to see change in Black America and we’re getting red pilled every single day.
The media is say so many horrific things about Vance instead of sharing his dedication to his country. JD Vance joined the US Marine Corps in 2003 as an combat correspondent. Vance acknowledges in his article that he avoid combat but knew friends who fought. This is a guy who know what’s out there and knows what we’re up against. America is losing itself and we need to “Make America Great Again”.
Check out these article below for more information (this is where I got my information from):
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/15/jd-vance-donald-trump-comments-00168450
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/04/opinion/campaign-stops/why-trumps-antiwar-message-resonates-with-white-america.html