JD Vance must tackle a huge “status” problem if he has any hope of succeeding Donald Trump, a political scientist has said.
Though the Vice President may think of himself as a shoo-in for the Republican Party nomination in future, he still has a wide gap of doubt to close. Karen Hult, professor of political science at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, told The Mirror US that Vance lacks experience — and is not held in high regard where it matters most.
Hult said, “He has not shifted as easily as perhaps it was anticipated that he would, from being a pretty good campaigner to moving into positions within the larger executive branch and as vice president.
“He wasn’t in the U.S. Senate for very long, it’s important to remember. So he doesn’t have very good status or grounding there. He also doesn’t have that much experience in international politics or various kinds of diplomatic endeavors.”
This lack of grounding in the Senate could be fatal for Vance, who also needs to use the image of being Trump’s “attack dog” to his advantage.
Scott Kaufman, chair of the department of history at Francis Marion University, said, “The vice president has historically been seen as kind of the president’s attack dog, someone who is supposed to be supportive of the president.”
“On that alone, the vice president needs to be cautious. But the vice president also wants to be careful about not saying or doing things that could bring the president down.”
Another expert has since suggested Vance is using the time between now and next year’s midterm elections as a chance to “audition” for the presidency.
Kaufman added, “I think one reason why Vance is being so quiet is because he doesn’t want to anger that MAGA core support that Trump has that’s unwavering.”
“The idea that he’s been kind of in the background for a little while, I expect we’re going to see a supercharged JD Vance,” Baumgartner added. “No. 1, I think he’s that kind of guy, politically. No. 2, I think he’s auditioning for the White House. And No. 3, I think that Trump will want him to do stuff like that. That’s a traditional role for the vice president.”
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