Sam Stein is joined by Chris Whipple, who wrote in Vanity Fair about the remarkable political transformation of J.D. Vance, from a young Trump critic at Yale Law School to Trump’s vice president and a potential MAGA successor. They dig into Vance’s behind-the-scenes efforts in 2016 to help Hillary Clinton defeat Trump and examine what drove his dramatic reversal. Was Vance always destined for MAGA, or did something change along the way?
Plus, Chris shares what Susie Wiles told him about Vance’s evolution and why she viewed his transformation differently from other Republican politicians.
A quick note: The Bulwark is a place where the people making news—and the reporters breaking it—can sit down for conversations that go well beyond the headline. Bulwark+ make it possible for us to keep bringing those voices directly to you and give them the time and space to tell the stories behind the news.

