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JD Vance: The Metaphorical Third Wheel Without a Clue

He may quickly learn what Mike Pence did—the hard way: the vice presidency in a Trump administration is an irrelevant, powerless position, especially for someone without the political instincts or backbone to carve out influence.

Libby Winkler
5 min readFeb 16, 2025
Photo by Antonio Scalogna on Unsplash

JD Vance: The Metaphorical Third Wheel Without a Clue

Suppose JD Vance somehow ends up as Donald Trump’s running mate in 2024. In that case, he may quickly learn what Mike Pence did—the hard way: the vice presidency in a Trump administration is an irrelevant, powerless position, especially for someone without the political instincts or backbone to carve out influence.

Vance, the author-turned-politician best known for Hillbilly Elegy, has undergone a dramatic transformation from a Never-Trumper to one of the most vocal MAGA loyalists. But unlike Pence, who had decades of experience and a built-in support base among evangelicals, Vance steps into the political arena with little more than a bestselling memoir and a billionaire benefactor. He lacks an independent power base, a clear policy vision, or the ability to challenge Trump’s worst impulses. In a second Trump administration, he’s little…

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Libby Winkler
Libby Winkler

Written by Libby Winkler

Freelance writer who loves exploring the messiness of humanity, while poking around in nooks of life and shining light on all the things that make us complex..

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