Trump Reportedly Didn't Let JD Vance Off The Hook Easy For His Past Comments When They First Met

Before becoming a major Donald Trump supporter who would eventually go on to be his running mate in the 2024 presidential election, JD Vance was a loud and proud Trump critic. When choosing one's Vice Presidential nominee, most folks wouldn't land on someone who once likened them to Adolf Hitler. And, Trump seems like one of the least likely people to simply forgive and forget comments like that. So, while it remains a surprise that Trump chose Vance as his running mate, it isn't so surprising that he reportedly took his VP pick to task for his past commentary. Trump reportedly addressed Vance's critical comments head-on when they met, and his future VP pick vowed to make it up to him.

According to Time, while Vance originally spoke out against Trump, he eventually came to view him as someone who could facilitate major political change. As Vance began to gain popularity, Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., and others encouraged the former President to meet with him. Vance reportedly arrived at Trump's office to see that the former President had printed the negative comments he had made about him in the past and laid them out on his desk. Trump reportedly didn't mince words regarding his hang ups about Vance, saying, "You said some nasty s*** about me." Yet, it seems that Vance had no problem explaining his change of heart, noting that he was previously swayed by the way Trump was portrayed and that he realized that their politics align.

It's interesting that JD Vance was apparently happy to go back on his statements, since he previously referred to himself as a "Never Trump guy." And, that was far from his only criticism of the former President. In 2016, Vance did an interview with Charlie Rose and didn't hold back about his opinion on Trump. "One of the biggest drivers of Trump support ... is that you express cynicism about the future," he said. This statement ironically now implies that in the interim, Vance has lost a bit of hope for what's to come. During that same year's election season, he said that he was going "back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a–hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler."

Despite the first meeting between Trump and Vance reportedly beginning with the pair acknowledging these statements face-to-face, it was somehow said to have ended well. According to Time, Vance told Trump that he'd work to win him over, and they left on good terms. Not only did Vance transform from a self-proclaimed "Never Trump guy" to the ultimate "Trump guy," but Trump uncharacteristically teamed up with someone who openly criticized him. Whether this complicated relationship will ultimately work out for them remains to be seen.