What has JD Vance has said on the issues as he joins Donald Trump as his running mate

When Donald Trump announced Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate, it thrust the conservative Republican and his family into the international political spotlight.

The 39-year-old former venture capitalist, veteran and bestselling author of the memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy' entered Washington politics less than two years ago when he was elected the junior Senator from the Buckeye state in the 2022 midterms. 

Republicans on Monday praised the MAGA favorite as the next generation of the GOP who would bring young conservatives into the fold and dismissed his limited government experience.

Democrats blasted him as someone who will enable the former president to enact an 'extreme MAGA agenda' if they are elected. 

Former President Trump and Ohio Senator JD Vance on Monday, July 15, at the Republican National Convention after Trump announced Vance as his VP pick earlier in the day

Vance was once a fierce Trump critic who called the ex-president an idiot and reprehensible. He even compared the ex-president to Hitler. Now, the senator is one of Trump loyalist supporters and his vice presidential pick. 

As Trump's number two, he will have the former president's  ear if they win in November. So where does Vance actually stand on the issues?

Immigration

Vance has said he would oppose any effort to grant amnesty to immigrants who come to the country illegally. He has also called for finishing a wall along the border.

The Ohio senator supports Trump's plan for a mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants. He said on Fox News on Monday 'we have to deport people who broke our laws' and said 'I think we start with the violent criminals.'

He has argued for stricter border measures both in terms of security and as a way to help U.S. workers. 

Abortion

Vance opposes abortion in nearly all cases including rape or incest. He has said there should be exceptions only in cases where the mother's life is in danger. 

The Ohio senator praised the overturning of Roe v Wade by the Supreme Court while he was running for Senate. His campaign website stated: 'Ban Abortion.' 

In an interview with CBS News in May, Vance refused to say where he stood on what he believes should be the standard on federal abortion limits. During his Senate campaign he said he would vote for a 15-week abortion ban if elected.

Vance opposed the ballot measure in Ohio to enshrine abortion rights in the state's constitution which passed last year. 

He also voted against the Democrats-led bill to protect access to IVF. 

In recent months however there appear to have been efforts to soften his abortion staff on his Wikipedia page and personal websites. 

JD Vance campaigning in Ohio as he ran for Senate  in the 2022. He ran on a platform where he was against abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother was in danger and said he would support a 15-week federal abortion ban

Ukraine 

Vance has been a skeptic of the war in Ukraine and has called for the U.S. to stop providing support for the country in its war with Russia after Russia invaded. 

He opposed the national security bill earlier this year that provided additional provisions for Ukraine. 

While the Ohio Senator has praised the Ukrainians in their fight, he has suggested that European countries should foot the bill and warned against the U.S. funding a war without a clear end. 

'I’ve got to be honest with you, I don’t really care what happens to Ukraine one way or the other,' he once said in a podcast interview while running for the Senate.  

Middle East 

While Vance has opposed U.S. funds for Ukraine, he has been a strong supporter of Israel throughout its war in Gaza. He told Fox News Monday night that Israel should get the war over with 'as quickly as possible.'

'Our goal in the Middle East should be to allow the Israelis to get to some good place with the Saudi Arabians and other Gulf Arab states, Vance said in a May interview with CNN. 'There is no way that we can do that unless the Israelis finish the job with Hamas.'

The difference Vance has argued between aide for Israel and Ukraine is Israel has an achievable objective. 

Senator JD Vance has opposed the U.S. providing additional funding to Ukraine but has backed providing funding for Israel in its war against Hamas

January 6

Vance said while running for the Ohio Senate seat that be thinks the election 'was stolen from Trump. He has also pushed back on the accusations that Trump played a role in inciting the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. 

Vance also has said earlier this year that if he had been vice president, he would have bowed to Trump's demand not to certify the 2020 election. 

'If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others, that we needed to have multiple slates of electors and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there,' Vance said in an interview with ABC News. 

When asked earlier this month if he would accept the results of the 2024 election by NBC News, Vance said 'so long as it’s a free and fair election... of course we will.'

Economy 

The Ohio senator has veered away from some of the economic policies Republicans have taken for years when it comes the trade, unions and taxes. 

He has signaled support for raising the minimum wage when he joined other Republican senators introducing a bill that would raise the wage while also mandating e-verify to ensure it goes to legally authorized workers. 

Vance has called for broad tariffs on goods coming especially from China. He told CBS News last month 'we need to protect American industries from all of the competition.'

Senator Vance with wife Usha as they arrive on the floor during the first day of the Republican National Convention after he was picked as Trump's running mate

Vance is expected to support Trump's push to extend provisions of the tax law passed during Trump's first term in office. But earlier this year he introduced bipartisan legislation to limit tax breaks for large mergers. 

In 2021, the senator even called for tax hikes on corporations as business leader planned to respond to voting law changes in Republican states. 

LGBTQ Rights 

While running for Senate, Vance said he would have opposed legislation that codified the right of same-sex couples to marry. 

He said the 'religious liberty piece of this is very bad' according to Mission America.

Child care 

Before running for Senate, Vance posted that universal child care is a 'massive subsidy to lifestyle preferences of the affluent over the preferences of the middle and working class.'