US Vice President J.D. Vance has reflected on the dramatic shift in his view of President Donald Trump, admitting that he “didn’t understand” Trump’s true character before working closely with him in the White House.
Vance said on the latest episode of the CEO Diary podcast with Steven Bartlett that his earlier criticism of Trump stemmed from him barely knowing Trump personally.
The comments marked another chapter in Vance’s political transformation, from being one of Trump’s most outspoken Republican critics in 2016 to becoming Trump’s vice president after the 2024 election.
“I don’t know him very well”
Asked what has changed since learning about Trump’s behind-the-scenes leadership, Vance said he first wanted to offer an important caveat. “I don’t know him that well,” he said, referring to a period when he made critical remarks about Trump during the 2016 election cycle.
Vance said working closely with the president gave him what he called “insider knowledge” and exposed him to a side of Trump he had never seen before.
“Donald Trump as a person is very different than what the media has portrayed him to be,” Vance said.
He went on to describe Trump as “very warm,” “very loving” to his children and grandchildren and “very generous.”
Vance said Trump enjoys welcoming people into the Oval Office and often feels the need to give visitors gifts, saying the president values ​​hospitality and likes to make others happy.
“I do not understand”
Vance acknowledged that his early views of Trump were largely influenced by television clips and media coverage. “I don’t know his situation from the outside. All I saw were clips of him arguing with reporters, that’s it,” he said.
He added that moments like this offer a “very, very one-dimensional view of a person” and said his experience within government revealed “a much more multidimensional character.”
Vance praises Trump’s wisdom
The vice president also took issue with the longstanding portrayal of Trump as ignorant.
Vance said that before working with Trump, he had been convinced by media narratives that the president was not particularly smart. However, he now sees the opposite.
Describing Trump as “super smart,” Vance said the president reads widely and claimed he could “guarantee” Trump would score higher on an IQ test than most, if not all, previous U.S. presidents.
From critic to Trump running mate
Vance’s comments come years after he publicly denounced Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, when he questioned whether Trump was “America’s Hitler” or simply a cynical politician. He also criticized Trump’s handling of complex political issues.
His position later changed and he supported Trump in the 2020 election. Trump later endorsed Vance’s successful run for Ohio Senate before selecting him as his running mate in the 2024 election.
Vance will assume the role of vice president in January 2025.
