Islam Times – The Atlantic’s republication of JD Vance’s 2016 essay criticizing Donald Trump as “cultural heroin” has renewed scrutiny of his shift from outspoken Trump critic to loyal vice president.The Atlantic has republished a 2016 essay by US Vice President JD Vance in which he sharply criticized Donald Trump and described his political appeal as “cultural heroin”, renewing scrutiny of Vance’s transformation from an outspoken Trump critic into one of his closest allies, The Guardian reported.
The magazine brought the essay back on Saturday to mark 10 years since its original publication, as well as the 250th anniversary of the United States. In an editor’s note, The Atlantic said the piece was being republished “so that our readers can judge for themselves how well his assessment [of Trump] … has stood the test of time.”
Vance’s early critique of Trump
At the time of the original essay, Vance had not yet entered politics. He was working at Mithril Capital Management, the venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, and had recently released Hillbilly Elegy, the memoir that helped make him a prominent commentator on the struggles of the white working class in the Rust Belt.
Writing during Trump’s first presidential campaign, Vance argued that many Americans were drawn to Trump as a “pain reliever” amid economic hardship, institutional distrust, and deepening social fragmentation.
Trump offered “an easy escape from the pain,” Vance wrote. “To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution.
“He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein.”
Vance added, “He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it.”
Political shift and present-day context
The essay’s return to public attention has underscored the contrast between Vance’s earlier warnings about Trump and his current role as vice president. It also comes as Trump faces mounting criticism over his mass deportation campaign, continued pressure over prices, and his role in launching a war on Iran alongside “Israel” despite previously pledging to avoid new wars.
Trump, however, used the US independence anniversary to present a very different picture, declaring that the country was living through a “golden age”. A day earlier, he attacked what he called a growing “communist menace” in the United States, as democratic socialist candidates gained momentum ahead of the November midterm elections, including after Zohran Mamdani’s election as New York City mayor in January.
From critic to ally
Vance’s old essay is not the only past criticism now resurfacing. Before aligning himself with Trump, he described himself as a “never Trump guy” and reportedly called Trump “America’s Hitler”. He also said Trump was “unfit” for office and was “leading the white working class to a very dark place”.
His position changed significantly during his 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio, when he secured Trump’s endorsement and went on to win the race. Vance later joined Trump’s 2024 presidential ticket, arguing that his view of Trump had shifted after seeing the results of his policies during his first term.
Now one of Trump’s most forceful defenders, Vance is widely viewed as a possible contender to succeed him, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic who knew Vance earlier in his political career, told NPR in 2024 that the boundaries politicians choose to cross in pursuit of power reveal much about them.
“I think he walked across it,” Frum said of Vance during the election that year. “I think he told us in advance what it was. It was Donald Trump, and he walked across it.”