... Eight years after wondering whether former President Trump could be "America's Hitler," Sen. J.D. (R-Ohio) has become Trump's running mate.
Why it matters: From a "Never Trump guy" to one of Trump's fiercest defenders, Vance's conversion to MAGA acolyte stands out in the former president's inner circle. ...
During the 2016 election, Vance wrote that he went "back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical ----- like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler."
- - - The comparison between Trump and Adolph Hitler was included in a message Vance sent to Democratic Georgia state Rep. Josh McLaurin, his old college roommate. ...
After launching his Senate bid, Vance deleted a series of social media posts critical of Trump.
- - - In one from the 2016 presidential election, he called Trump "reprehensible" for his rhetoric toward immigrants and Muslims, according to CNN. ...
- - - In another, Vance said he was voting for Evan McMullin, a former CIA operations officer who ran as an independent in the 2016 presidential election.
Zoom in: When Trump's infamous "Access Hollywood" tape was released, Vance warned fellow Christians in a since deleted tweet that "everyone is watching when we apologize for this man." ...
[emphasis mine]
