Vance’s political shift has been dramatic. In 2016, the year his book Hillbilly Elegy was published, Vance was outspoken against Trump, calling him an “idiot” and likening him to Nixon and even “America’s Hitler.” A private 2016 message reported by Reuters shows Vance expressing doubts about Trump, saying, “I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a**hole like Nixon… or that he’s America’s Hitler.”

However, Vance’s views have drastically changed. By 2022, he had become one of Trump’s strongest supporters, eventually rising to vice president.

On March 4, just before Trump’s fiery address, Vance was overheard speaking with House Speaker Mike Johnson. Lip reader Jeremy Freeman claims Vance said, “Yes it is, a full reckoning, and long overdue,” followed by a comment praising the speech. Johnson, responding to Vance, commented on the difficulty of enduring Biden’s speeches.

Vance’s “reckoning” remark sparked online speculation. Is it a call for a political purge or a shift in government priorities? Regardless, Vance is now a powerful figure in the Trump administration, signaling major political changes ahead.