'He's one handsome son of a b*tch': How MAGA favorite JD Vance caught Trump's eye as he weighs his pick for VP

If looks are nan cardinal to Donald Trump's vice statesmanlike prime past location is only 1 winner.

J.D. Vance's bluish eyes and heavy beard first caught nan attraction of nan erstwhile president 2 years ago, erstwhile nan writer and erstwhile Marine was competing for nan Republican information successful Ohio's Senate race.

'He's 1 handsome boy of a bitch,' Trump told his soul circle.

Since past Vance has emerged arsenic 1 of his astir formidable promoters connected cablegram news channels.

And a strict moving regimen instituted during his tally for Senate has seen nan imaginable veep lose weight recently, a truth that has not gone unnoticed by Trump himself, according to a root acquainted pinch nan erstwhile president's conversations.

'He's sewage nan look,' is different Trump assessment, noting nan slimmed down fig and prime of well-fitting suits. 

It leaves nan Ohio legislator arsenic 1 of 3 candidates—along pinch Sen. Marco Rubio, 53, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, 67—on a shortlist for vice president.

Supporters, who see nan likes of Donald Trump Jr. and erstwhile Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, opportunity he brings a heavy relationship pinch nan rust loop states that could determine nan election, a individual history that embodies nan American Dream, and nan benignant of TV skills basal for nan president's number-one advocate. 

Critics impeach him of being a governmental chameleon, trading retired his Never Trump credentials astatine nan first sniff of power.

Either measurement it marks an bonzer emergence for a 39-year-old brought up successful nan crushing poorness of confederate Ohio by his heroin-addicted mother and his fierce grandmother. 

His 2016 memoir, 'Hillbilly Elegy,' catapulted him to literate and governmental fame, establishing him arsenic nan benignant of moving class, achromatic writer who could decode Trump and his allure for an uncomprehending wide and blimpish establishment.

The book painted an evocative image of a forgotten American while still informing that Trump himself was for illustration an opioid, an 'easy flight from nan pain.' 

As opponents person gleefully pointed out, he many times criticized Trump arsenic he promoted his first book, describing himself arsenic a 'Never Trump guy'  and explaining why nan New York spot developer and TV prima was 'unfit for our nation's highest office' successful a New York Times piece.

By past Vance had already had 2 careers. He spent 4 years successful nan Marines, serving arsenic a nationalist affairs serviceman successful Iraq, earlier studying political subject and accuracy astatine Ohio State University. 

After graduating from Yale Law School successful 2013, he joined Mithril Capital, a task superior patient successful California owned by Silicon Valley billionaire and philanthropist Peter Thiel, who later helped money his pivot into politics.

That background, combining an Ivy League rule schoolhouse pinch a well-received memoir, triggers comparisons pinch different erstwhile president. 

Vance himself leaned into nan comparison successful a 2016 New York Times file entitled: 'Barack Obama and Me.' He lamented nan measurement nan Republican Party was incapable to disconnect its governmental disagreements from 'an admirable man,' moreover arsenic he described really he would 'breathe a sigh of alleviation astatine Mr. Obama's departure.'

And location he mightiness person stayed, penning for high-minded newspapers connected authorities and people, appearing connected TV to talk Trump and nan Mid West, while making a luck pinch his ain task superior firm.

It was nan backlash to Trump successful agency that changed each that, according to group who knew him earlier he sewage into politics. 

A friend from Yale Law School, who bonded pinch Vance arsenic a chap outsider, said it revealed a hyper partisan streak successful nan sorts of prestigious institutions—the Ivy League, media organizations—that had enabled his ain rise.

So while Vance was loved arsenic nan 'Trump whisperer' successful 2016 erstwhile his book came out, by nan clip nan movie was made successful 2020 nan situation had changed. It was not capable to picture his family history. He was expected to beryllium captious of nan president.

'It was seeing nan aforesaid media outlets that had heralded his book, move connected nan movie successful a measurement that feels very partisan,' said nan friend. 'It was not that it inspired his tally successful politics, but that it was conscionable for illustration 2 different moments wherever it felt very hypocritical of these institutions.'

That he would move into authorities was nary surprise, added nan friend. He recounted a yearbook workout wherever nan students were asked who would beryllium astir apt to go president. 

'I deliberation I was nan only 1 who picked J.D.' he said. 'Everyone other picked nan beautiful boys from prep schools. Sometimes you conscionable person a emotion successful your gut that personification has nan story, nan skills, nan intellect, nan strategical reasoning ...'

Vance threw himself into nan title for nan Ohio Senate spot that fell vacant pinch nan status of Rob Portman. The courtship of Trump began pinch a 2021 gathering astatine Mar-a-Lago brokered by Thiel, his erstwhile boss.

It caught ray during 1 of nan superior debates erstwhile Vance was nan only 1 of 3 Republicans connected shape to reason nan thought of a no-fly area successful Ukraine enforced by NATO.

The erstwhile president's son, Don Jr., spotted nan clip connected Twitter. He was already a instrumentality of 'Hillbilly Elegy' he told friends.

'I haven't commented previously, but I'm getting tired of watching nan neocons successful #OHSen moving dishonest ads calling JD Vance a never-Trumper. It's BS,' he tweeted, adding that Vance was '100% America First.'

From them connected nan Ohio campaigner had a powerful protagonist astatine nan bosom of squad Trump. Within weeks he had nan endorsement of nan erstwhile president himself, helping him to a superior triumph and past an predetermination triumph successful November 2022.

He is now adjacent friends pinch Don Jr. One whitethorn beryllium nan boy of a billionaire and nan different grew up successful poverty, but they matter aliases speak connected a regular basis. Don Jr. has not been awkward successful talking up Vance arsenic a early V.P. connected his podcast.

'You make a batch of acquaintances successful politics, but J.D. is simply a awesome and loyal feline who has go a genuine friend,' Don Jr. told DailyMail.com. 

'His full life communicative is nan embodiment of nan American dream, but he ne'er forgets wherever he came from. 

'He's besides 1 of nan fewer group I've seen successful Washington who not only is simply a existent believer successful my father’s agenda, but besides has nan courageousness and intelligence to conflict backmost against nan Democrats and leftwing media efficaciously successful defense of our commonsense American values.'

Vance has go 1 of Trump's astir visible defenders connected tv and a leader to nan hardline MAGA activity pinch his connection of America First economical nationalism. 

He credits his clip successful Iraq pinch processing a skepticism for overseas interventions, and has astatine times outflanked Trump to nan right—with a tougher statement connected abortion and connected sending assistance to Ukraine, for example.

Yet successful nan Senate has managed to activity crossed nan aisle. 

He teamed up pinch Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, for example, connected obstruction information authorities successful nan aftermath of nan East Palestine train derailment successful his state.

And nan caller British overseas secretary, from nan leftist Labour Party, moreover claims to beryllium a friend, recognizing successful 'Hillbilly Elegy' elements of his ain childhood.

'I said to J.D., "Look, we've sewage different politics, but we're some rather beardown Christians and we some stock rather a reliable upbringing,"' David Lammy told nan New York Times recently. 

Critics spot it differently. Matt K. Lewis, writer of 'Too Dumb to Fail: How nan GOP Went from nan Party of Reagan to nan Party of Trump,' said Vance was a smart feline who had worked retired really to emergence to nan apical by ditching his Never Trump credentials.

'He astir apt rationalizes it a small bit, which is to say: I tin return nan bully parts of populism and nan bully parts of nationalism, and soften it a small bit. And usage Trump aliases Trumpism arsenic a conveyance to do that,' he said.

'So that's really you would benignant of warrant what is evidently rank hypocrisy and unsighted overwhelming ambition.'

Vance precocious tackled that disapproval caput connected erstwhile confronted by Fox News' Bret Baier pinch his past quotes astir Trump.

'Look, I was incorrect astir Donald Trump,' he said. 'I didn't deliberation he was going to beryllium a bully president, Bret. 

'He was a awesome president, and it’s 1 of nan reasons why I'm moving truthful difficult to make judge he gets a 2nd term.'

And a adjacent friend said nan disapproval missed really Vance had ever bridled astatine nan thought of being nan Trump whisperer for coastal elites.

'One of nan things he talks astir is really he became very uncomfortable pinch nan truth that nan wide media fundamentally was utilizing him arsenic an avatar to explicate Trumpism,' said nan friend.

'His position was,that complete time, he felt for illustration he was benignant of going connected a runaway train. And if he didn't propulsion nan brakes, he was going to dislike himself beautiful quickly.' 

After conscionable 2 years successful nan Senate, he could beryllium days from being named Trump's moving mate.

For his part, Vance was happy to joke pinch journalists connected Tuesday erstwhile they asked whether he'd received a Bachelor-style roseate aliases aureate summons from Trump yet. 

'I person not gotten a roseate aliases a trinket aliases immoderate different gifts,' he said extracurricular nan Senate chamber, adding that he had nary logic to deliberation nan speculation astir his spot connected a shortlist was false.

'But I mean, look, it's Trump, right? He is simply a showman. He loves nan truth that group are talking astir this a lot.'

Don't beryllium amazed if nan V.P. is personification else, he added.