Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) is getting out in front of former President Donald Trump in the media and on policy, but his public separation from the top of the ticket isn’t bothering the campaign.
After some initial scrutiny and negative media coverage, Vance has emerged as a prolific campaigner, basking in the spotlight as he goes deep into Trump’s vision for the country. His itch to get behind a microphone and talk about policies that Trump hasn’t spelled out in concrete terms has left some Republicans worried he is overstepping as the former president’s running mate.
Trump’s advisers aren’t members of that group of skeptics, according to Semafor. Rather, they see him as perfectly fulfilling his envisioned role, especially in articulating policies that Trump hasn’t explicitly touched on.
“He’s not getting ahead of the campaign, it’s a lot of stuff that’s been discussed, and none of it was surprising,” a Trump campaign adviser said. “I know there’s a narrative out there that he’s getting ahead of the campaign on some of this stuff, but he’s not.”
Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), a major Trump ally in the Senate, said Vance’s behavior was in line with what he was chosen for and that it’s fine to have some policy differences with the president.
“President Trump is one of those that says, ‘Hey, tell ‘em what you think,’” he said. “I think it’s better to do it that way rather than try to get on the same page about everything. Sooner or later, you’re going to screw something up.”
Semafor reported that the campaign internally views Vance as an effective and articulate communicator, particularly noting his blitz of media appearances, even in hostile environments. His focus on the minutiae of policy, something Trump likes to avoid, makes the two complementary rather than competitive.
One person close to the Trump campaign said Vance was being given “space to follow a campaign plan.”
“Vance and company are in constant contact, and he’s responding to our own intention to focus more on policy,” they said. “We would if these assassins would take a vacation.”
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Between Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Trump, and Vance, the Ohio Republican has made the most media appearances in the 2024 election. He has used this clout to taunt Harris repeatedly about her lack of media appearances.
One of Vance’s most viral media appearances occurred on Sunday when he got into a spat with CNN’s State of the Union host Dana Bash over his comments regarding Haitian immigrants in Springfield.