J.D. Vance Embraces the Role of Internet Troll

Politico: “J.D. Vance, the first millennial vice president who rose to national prominence in 2016 through his intricately framed and professionally edited political memoir Hillbilly Elegy, has established himself as a smashmouth poster in the early weeks of the second Trump administration.”

“His use of the medium — reminiscent of how Trump weaponized social media during his first term — points to a norm-breaking approach to political communication that goes beyond Trump, and that Vance is leveraging as the vice president and likely 2028 presidential contender.”

“Unlike his buttoned-down predecessor Mike Pence, who reserved his social media mimicry of Trump to the occasional all-caps or exclamation point— and whose presence in the White House served as something of a counterbalance to the bombastic president — Vance has gone all-in on MAGA warfare and channeling its guttural appeal.”