"We did not have a lot of money, said JD Vance, placing hand on heart as he recalled his childhood in Middletown, Ohio in the 1990s. I was raised by a woman who struggled often to put food on the table and clothes on her back."
"But there was also a political point to the story: despite the hardships, Vance insisted, Mamaw never had to worry about violent crime until Democrats sabotaged law and order. The 41-year-old used this routine appearance in Concord, North Carolina last September to present himself as a hardline warrior with a heart. It was a snapshot of a man who has emerged as both the most aggressive defender of Donald Trump and a 2028 candidate in stealth mode."
"He's absolutely risen to the occasion: he's a thoroughly despicable, dishonest toady for Donald Trump, and he's doing it wonderfully. He's the clear frontrunner because he's utterly shameless and he's done and said everything that Trump wants him to do and say. He's done a great job and positioned himself to be the guy."
JD Vance recalled a childhood of economic hardship in Middletown, Ohio, highlighting his grandmother's care and framing crime and Democrats as threats to law and order. He used a routine campaign appearance to portray himself as a hardline warrior with a heart while presenting himself as both Donald Trump's aggressive defender and a stealth 2028 candidate. He balances preserving Trump's populist bombast with carving a distinct persona, aided by stronger connections in Silicon Valley and ties to AI investment. He has quietly reversed or ignored past positions on foreign intervention, free speech and transparency while rising in prominence and political influence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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