A Tale Of Two Stances: JD Vance's Evolution On Trump Allegations

Ohio Senator JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, notably shifted his stance on Donald Trump's alleged sexual misconduct. In 2016, Vance repeatedly implied that he believed Trump had committed sexual assault. During a segment on MSNBC in October 2016, an interview was played with Jessica Leeds, a former salesperson who accused Trump of groping and forcibly kissing her during a flight in the 1970s. Vance found it difficult to believe Trump's denials over Leeds' accusations.

“At a fundamental level, this is a ‘he said, she said,’ right? And at the end of the day, do you believe Donald Trump, who always tells the truth? Just kidding,” Vance sarcastically remarked. “Or do you believe that woman on that tape?” he said, referring to Leeds.

By May 2023, Vance's stance had dramatically shifted as he moved from being an open critic to a loyal supporter of Trump. Following a jury finding Trump liable for sexual abuse against author E. Jean Carroll, Vance expressed unwavering support for his "friend" Trump. "I think fundamentally the lawsuit is about something that happened 25 years ago. It’s a ‘he said, she said’ situation. And I trust my friend and the guy that I’ve known and gotten to know,” Vance told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, months after winning his Senate race with Trump's endorsement.

Vance suggested that the lawsuit, and its funding, was politically motivated rather than a pursuit of justice. “They are trying to take him down for political reasons. That, to me, is not about justice, that’s not about discovering the truth. That’s about using the legal system instead of the political system to win a debate against Donald Trump.”

A spokesperson for Vance told CNN, “JD’s tweets and comments about President Trump from nearly a decade ago are old news that have been addressed numerous times since he entered the political world. They don’t reflect his views on President Trump today and haven’t for many years.”

Trump has consistently denied claims of sexual assault.

Vance’s defense of Trump marked a stark contrast to his remarks in 2016, after the leak of the “Access Hollywood” tape where Trump made lewd and sexually aggressive comments about women. In October 2016, Vance tweeted, “What percentage of the American population has @realDonaldTrump sexually assaulted?”

Although the tweet was deleted, its replies still exist, and it was later included in an opposition report by his super PAC in 2022 to highlight his potential vulnerabilities as a candidate. Deleted likes from Vance’s Twitter account, reviewed by CNN, also indicated he believed Trump’s accusers and those who criticized Trump as a “serial sexual assault[er].”

One liked post suggested, “Maybe the Central Park 5 could take out a full-page ad to condemn the coddling of thug real estate barons who commit serial sexual assault,” posted just after the “Access Hollywood” tape emerged. Another liked post from 2016 read, “I wish there was a 2nd Vice Presidential debate just to see @GovPenceIN deny that Trump said he grabbed p*ssy.”

In October 2016, Vance shared a Washington Post editorial by Russell Moore, then of the Southern Baptist Convention, criticizing Trump’s views on women.