Inside JD Vance's Friendship With Marjorie Taylor Greene

JD Vance wasn't always Marjorie Taylor Greene's favorite person. While she's been a very vocal Donald Trump supporter, Vance was critical of the former president during his 2016 presidential run, even comparing him to the likes of Adolf Hitler. Then, he became Trump's 2024 running mate. Some wondered how Greene would react to Vance getting picked for the ticket, given ample speculation that Trump might choose her as his running mate. In fact, Greene herself fueled the rumors when she told The Guardian in August 2023, "It's talked about frequently and I know my name is on a list." But she added that she'd need to "think about it and consider it."

When Trump presented Vance as his VP pick at the Republican National Convention, eager reporters wanted to hear what Greene thought. After all, it was no secret she and Vance were friends. Back in 2022, the senator took to X, formerly Twitter, to post a smiling snap of the two of them at one of his rallies, and in previous interviews, he referred to Greene as his friend. If people were expecting sour grapes from Greene after Vance beat her to the ticket, they were hoping in vain. The Georgia representative had nothing but good things to say about Trump's choice of running mate. "I'm so proud of J.D. Vance," she told Nexstar (via The Hill). "I know him well and I'm thrilled." She added that she and Vance's political interests are aligned and that she doesn't hold his past criticism of Trump against him. In fact, she likes him all the more for changing his mind.

Marjorie Taylor Greene might be famous for her messy public feuds, and while she's gotten into plenty of nasty spats with some of her fellow Republicans, JD Vance hasn't been one of them. When the latter ran for Senate, Greene, who couldn't resist a Trump critic turned supporter, gave Vance her endorsement. In a statement, Greene called Vance a "conservative warrior," telling NBC News: "[I am] proud to endorse [Vance]. If you agree with me that Washington desperately needs more American first fighters in the mold of President Trump, then it's vital to support JD's campaign in Ohio."

Vance, who was facing some formidable opposition in his campaign, thanked Greene for her endorsement on X, formerly Twitter, writing: "Honored to have Marjorie's endorsement. We're going to win this thing and take the country back from the scumbags."

The phrase "You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" has never been truer than it is in the world of politics, and after Marjorie Taylor Greene endorsed JD Vance for senator in 2022, it might be safe to say that he owed her one — friends or not — so it didn't come as too much of a surprise when he fiercely defended Greene after both Republicans and Democrats fiercely criticized her for attending a white nationalist conference.

Greene spoke at the America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC), which in itself might not have been so controversial had it not been for the fact that it was founded and organized by infamous white supremacist Nick Fuentes. When the bomb dropped and Greene's attendance made headlines, she dug herself into a deeper hole by telling CBS News she had no knowledge about who organized AFPAC prior to speaking at the event nor did she know anything about their political views. "It wasn't an alignment. It was to talk about getting everyone together to save our country," Greene argued. The fact that she said "everything Congress does is evil" during her speech didn't help matters.

Luckily, Greene had a white knight waiting in the wings, and when Vance was asked about her blunder during an Ohio GOP senate debate, he made it clear that he supported her wholeheartedly. "There's no business in the world that asks you to stab your friends in the back like politics. I absolutely refuse to do it to Marjorie Taylor Greene. She is my friend, and she did nothing wrong," Vance said (via The Hill)." He also backed Greene's somewhat controversial speech, saying: "I actually watched her remarks. I agreed with nearly every word that she said."