What To Know About JD Vance's Chief Of Staff, Jacob Reses

In early 2024, few even knew his name, but with Donald Trump's re-election Jacob Reses officially became one of the most influential people in the world. Reses is Vice President J.D. Vance's chief of staff — an opportunity he's notably been preparing for all his life. Reses attended Princeton University as a registered Democrat, but sometime during his studies, Reses' political views changed, and he realized he was more aligned with Republican policies. "I was very lucky to have great mentors and to also have some lucky breaks," he acknowledged to The Press of Atlantic City in 2017. "Princeton changed me and changed my view of the world." 

Vance's chief of staff is especially passionate about the divisive policies that the Republican party has based their campaigns on time and again, such as the mass deportation of immigrants and abolishing Obamacare. Although Vance has admitted that being Trump's running mate had some personal consequences, which even included the loss of some longtime friends, Reses wasn't one of them. The two have been close for years and Reses landed the coveted position as Vance's chief of staff in 2022. According to those in the know, Reses is a born organizer and strategist and plays a vital part in Vance's success as one of his closest advisers.

Much like J.D. Vance, who has a complicated relationship with Donald Trump, Jacob Reses hasn't always been the biggest supporter of the president-elect either. In a piece he wrote for the Princeton Tory back in 2012, Vance's chief of staff, who's also a graduate of Stanford Law School, referred to the controversial politician and other prominent Republicans as "straw men" who were only feeding the liberal media frenzy painting the GOP as a fear-mongering entity. During his time working as an adviser for the CEO of Heritage Action for America, Reses, with the backing of the organization, tried to convince Republicans that Trump would be a dreadful presidential candidate. Instead, Reses championed Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who has a good relationship with Trump, for the position. 

The outspoken campaigner even went as far as to write a piece for the National Review early in 2016 just as the polls started to indicate that the former "Apprentice" host was on the cusp of winning the GOP nomination, urging voters not to forsake their traditional conservative views amid Trump shaking things up within the party. There's no telling how Reses feels about him these days. Long before he became a staunch Republican supporter, Reses interned for the likes of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. Like Vance, he doesn't seem to have an aversion to changing his views. What exactly they are is a bit of a mystery — Reses is notoriously private, and so are the people who know him — but pundits are sure to learn more about his positions once he moves into the White House with Vance.