Despite several better options, Donald Trump announced Monday that J.D. Vance will be his vice presidential candidate for the 2024 election.
With that announcement, the former president erased what little hope I had left for the Republican Party.
When Trump left the White House in 2020, many young conservatives like me were hopeful that the party could learn its lesson, put the destructive parts of his MAGA movement behind us, and move on with an heir to the party that could properly unify the populist wing of the party with the more principled conservatism of old.
Those hopes quickly vanished as Trump entered the 2024 GOP primary and promptly coasted to the nomination with little resistance. The only saving grace was that Trump might feel compelled to pick a candidate who appeals more to traditional conservatives and moderates alike.
Instead, he chose J.D. Vance, an inexperienced senator who is as close to Trump as possible in the legislative branch. His choice is disappointing for conservatives hoping for a more unified ticket. It turns out that Trump is interested in transforming the legacy of his movement into the future of the Republican Party.
J.D. Vance does little to expand Trump's appeal but gives MAGA a succession plan
In 2016, Trump was a brash political outsider who needed to appeal to the existing Republican base to win. He went with Mike Pence, an experienced, deeply religious Indiana governor representing the more traditional Republican Party.
This time around, Trump has the backing of his party (mostly), and his base is the base of the party now, no matter how much it disappoints me to say that. It's such a strong base that Trump apparently feels he is in a strong enough position to choose a candidate who does little to expand his appeal to moderates.
Should Trump win in the fall, he will be ineligible for a third term, so he needs a plan of succession for the MAGA movement to remain alive beyond his time in politics.
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This is where Vance comes in. The senator from Ohio has a massive populist influence and poses himself as a more refined, educated version of Trump. Despite polling far behind the rest of the GOP ticket in 2022’s midterm elections, he had enough appeal to Trump’s base to win in Ohio.
Vance doesn't add much to a GOP ticket electorally. He does little to bring in reluctant Trump voters and absolutely nothing to persuade moderates to vote for Trump. His appeal is among working-class Republicans, who will already turn out in droves to vote for Trump.
While I think Trump would have been wise to pick a candidate who appeals to Republican moderates, such as Nikki Haley, there is no doubt Vance is the best choice to carry on Trump’s MAGA legacy in the conservative movement.
Trump likes Vance because they are so alike: Both lack principles
Trump and Vance have a lot in common, but the one that stands out most is the willingness they both have to say anything to get ahead.
Back in 2016, Vance used words like “idiot,” “noxious” and "reprehensible" to describe Trump. He even went so far as to say “I’m a Never Trump guy,” in a 2016 interview.
So what changed for Vance? The obvious one is political aspirations. In July 2021, Vance entered the race for U.S. senator from Ohio. Just days later, he publicly apologized during a Fox News interview for his past critiques of Trump and had earlier deleted tweets that were critical of the former president.
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Conveniently, Vance’s attitude toward Trump changed about the same time he wanted to gain political power, mimicking one of Trump’s most frustrating qualities.
Trump, the politician, has pivoted his positions on abortion, guns and other issues from more liberal positions he stated publicly earlier in his life. It didn’t stop there, he has now seemingly relaxed his position on abortion once again, evidently not caring for the sanctity of life all that much after all.
Both men crave power, and men who crave power without principles are not to be trusted. People can change their minds about things, sure, but the convenience of these changes of heart the moment they were running for office does little to mask their true intentions.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
