JD Vance: podcast appearances and interviews

James David Vance, born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984, is an American politician, author, and venture capitalist serving as the 50th vice president of the United States. He has been a member of the Republican Party and served as a United States senator representing Ohio from 2023 to 2025. Vance was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio, and was brought up in an unstable, low-income family. After graduating from Middletown High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, serving as a military journalist in public affairs until 2007. He earned a bachelor's degree from Ohio State University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Following a brief career in corporate law, Vance worked for Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm led by Peter Thiel. He gained national prominence with his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, which offered insights into white working-class disaffection after Donald Trump's election and reflected broader political shifts in post-industrial Appalachia and the Midwest. The book was adapted into a film in 2020. Vance converted to Roman Catholicism in 2019 and initially expressed criticism of Donald Trump, later becoming a strong supporter during his presidency. He was elected to the Senate in 2022 after winning a crowded primary with Trump’s endorsement, defeating Democrat Tim Ryan. Vance was selected as Trump's running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign but resigned from the Senate before his inauguration as vice president. As vice president, he is also the finance chair of the Republican National Committee and has been described as a national conservative and right-wing populist aligned with the