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JD Vance’s Journey: From Tariff Critic to Trump’s Economic Advocate

Vice President JD Vance, once a vocal opponent of protectionist trade policies, now champions sweeping tariffs as part of the Trump administration's 'Liberation Day' economic agenda.

President Donald Trump holds up a chart of new tariffs.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 02: U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrives for a "Make America Wealthy Again" trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Touting the event as "Liberation Day", Trump announced sweeping new tariffs targeting goods imported to the U.S. on countries including China, Japan and India. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Overview

  • Vice President JD Vance has undergone a significant ideological shift, evolving from a 'Never Trump' critic to a key advocate for Donald Trump's protectionist trade policies.
  • Vance previously argued that automation and technological changes, not globalization, were the primary drivers of U.S. job losses, dismissing tariffs as ineffective.
  • In 2017, Vance described Trump’s tariff proposals as fighting 'yesterday’s war,' asserting that manufacturing jobs lost to automation were gone for good.
  • By 2019, Vance began to credit Trump’s first-term policies with changing his perspective, culminating in his vocal support for the administration’s 'Liberation Day' tariffs in 2025.
  • Vance’s transformation reflects broader shifts within the Republican Party, where populist economic policies have gained prominence alongside Trump’s vision of 'economic independence.'