Nicolai Haugsted
Before becoming vice president JD Vance was quietly offering advice to Hillary Clinton’s campaign, new report says.
Unearthing past political allegiances frequently creates embarrassing headlines for leaders navigating high-stakes national administration roles.
Reporting published by Vanity Fair reveals that Vice President JD Vance secretly attempted to advise Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016 to prevent Donald Trump from winning the White House.
Intermediaries who worked alongside the Clinton team confirmed that Vance repeatedly requested direct contact with senior policy adviser Jake Sullivan.
Motivation behind the outreach stemmed from an intense desire to block Trump rather than any affection for Clinton herself.
“JD called me and said, ‘Can you put me in touch with Jake Sullivan?’” an anonymous intermediary recounted to Vanity Fair.
Initial reluctance from the contact prompted Vance to push harder, insisting that Stopping Trump outweighed partisan preferences.
“He called me again and he said, ‘I hate Hillary. But I hate Trump more. Trump can’t win. He can’t win. Hillary’s going to lose, but she doesn’t have to,’” the source told Vanity Fair.
Spokespeople for Vance’s office did not immediately respond to press inquiries on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
Deleting Social Media Archives Before Senate Rise
Public opposition from Vance toward Trump was well-documented during the 2016 election cycle, culminating in a vote for independent candidate Evan McMullin.
Drastic scrubbing of digital archives took place when Vance launched his Ohio Senate campaign in 2021.
Social media posts calling Trump “reprehensible” and an “idiot” were systematically wiped from the internet.
Private messages previously revealed by Reuters showed Vance comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler, while deleted social posts addressed evangelical voters regarding controversial campaign audio tapes.
“Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us,” Vance wrote at the time.
Securing Trump’s endorsement eventually propelled Vance to a United States Senate seat in Ohio before joining the 2024 presidential ticket as vice president.
