Inside JD Vance’s Inner Circle

🌈 Abstract

The article provides an in-depth look at the staff, political operation, and key allies of J.D. Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio and potential vice presidential candidate for Donald Trump in 2024.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Staff

1. What are the key roles and backgrounds of Vance's top staff members?

• Reses is Vance's chief of staff and closest political strategist, handling day-to-day operations. He has undergone an ideological transformation from working for Democrats to embracing Vance's conservative populism.
• Braid is the architect of Vance's major policy initiatives in the Senate, including the Rail Safety Act, and is trusted to translate Vance's New Right worldview into policy.
• King was the research director at American Compass before joining Vance's office and plans to attend Harvard Law School.
• Kofsky has helped shape Vance's economic thinking and work on the Senate Banking Committee.
• Baker has played an important role in shaping Vance's foreign policy positions, especially his opposition to U.S. aid to Ukraine and skepticism of NATO.

[02] Political Operation

1. Who are the key figures in Vance's political operation and what were their roles?

• Chabria oversaw Vance's ground game in Ohio during his 2022 Senate campaign and remains close to the state's Republican establishment.
• Thompson ran Vance's allied super PAC in 2022 and is credited with crafting an unorthodox strategy that allowed the super PAC to support the campaign.
• Martin and Schroeder, Vance's communications team, execute his media strategy of staying close to friendly conservative media and carefully picking his spots.
• Surabian is a conduit between Vance's operation and the Trump world, credited with orchestrating the rapprochement between Vance and Donald Trump Jr.
• The Trump pollster worked with Vance's super PAC and authored memos arguing Vance's "anti-Trump" reputation was harming his electability.

[03] Silicon Valley Donors

1. What is the role of Vance's Silicon Valley donors, particularly Peter Thiel, in his political operation?

• Peter Thiel is a mentor, former boss, intellectual/spiritual advisor, friend, and major donor to Vance, contributing $15 million to his super PAC.
• Thiel's techno-libertarianism and embrace of Christianity have significantly influenced Vance's political outlook.
• Other Silicon Valley figures like David Sacks, Elon Musk, and Chamath Palihapitiya have also emerged as major financial backers and supporters of Vance.

[04] Capitol Hill Allies

1. Who are Vance's key allies on Capitol Hill and what are their relationships?

• Sen. Mike Lee was the first to publicly announce Vance as Trump's potential VP pick and has worked with him to protest the DOJ's actions against Trump.

[05] The "New Right" Thinkers

1. What is the influence of "New Right" intellectuals on Vance's political ideology?

• Thinkers like Patrick Deneen, Yoram Hazony, Rod Dreher, and Oren Cass have been influential in shaping Vance's "postliberal" and nationalist conservative worldview.
• Vance has cited these figures as major intellectual influences and has appeared at their events and conferences.

[06] The MAGA Allies

1. How are Vance's relationships with prominent MAGA figures like Russell Vought, Tucker Carlson, and Steve Bannon?

• Vance has close ties to these MAGA-aligned figures, who have promoted him in the conservative media ecosystem and advocated for him to be Trump's VP pick.
• Vought's organization serves as a brain trust for conservative members of Congress, and he is in regular contact with Vance's office.
• Carlson and Bannon have used their media platforms to boost Vance and his political agenda.