The unlikely Yale Law student

In 2010, a beefy ex-Marine in a pink sweater sat in the back row of contracts class. Some classmates wondered if JD Vance was cut out to be a lawyer.

“He had, like, a pink or purple sweater. He was not always that elegant.”

Amy Chua saw his potential

The Tiger Mother author took Vance under her wing. She and her husband predicted he'd end up in the White House years before he became famous.

“I always thought he was destined for great things.”

Usha was the star student

Usha Chilukuri, daughter of Indian immigrants, was pegged as the brightest in the class. She was cool, disciplined, and possibly a future president herself.

From Iraq veteran to law student

Vance served as a Marine public affairs officer in Iraq, where he learned to put a good gloss on bad news. He vented about the war's folly at New Haven bars.

“They were like, 'Oh, oops, no weapons.' And it was my town that died.”

Nearly dropped out 50 times

Vance felt lost at Yale and didn't want a law career. Chua remembers him as a real hillbilly who was often completely adrift and ready to quit.

“He was going to drop out 50 times.”

JD fell hard for Usha

Assigned to the same study group, Vance was bowled over by his classmate. On a moot court project, Usha was 50 billion times better than he was.

A fiery temper and short fuse

Vance had meltdowns when professors gave Usha questionable grades or condescended to him. Friends saw a strong conviction against arrogant coastal elites.

“He had a really big anger.”

Peter Thiel changed everything

In 2011, Vance attended a talk by the billionaire venture capitalist. Thiel identified openly as Christian and urged students to reject meaningless professional competition.

“Possibly the smartest person I'd ever met, he identified very openly as a Christian.”

Chua helped birth Hillbilly Elegy

The professor saw bestseller potential in Vance's story. She connected him with her agent and told him to cut out the grand theory cluttering his manuscript.

“He had a chip on his shoulder, he wanted to prove himself. And I was like, 'You should do this.'”

The book made him famous

Published in 2016, Hillbilly Elegy made Vance a phenomenon. Here was a Yale Law grad who could explain the Rust Belt and excoriate Trump as America's Hitler.

Secret advice to Clinton's campaign

In 2016, Vance reached out to Hillary Clinton's team through Jake Sullivan. He urged her to visit Blue Wall states and apologize for the Iraq War.

“I hate Hillary. But I hate Trump more. Trump can't win.”

Thiel bankrolled his political rise

After Yale, Vance joined Thiel's investment firm, then started his own with the billionaire's backing. Thiel later donated $15 million to Vance's Senate campaign.

The Mar-a-Lago conversion

Trump confronted Vance about his past criticisms. After 90 minutes together, Vance was won over by Trump's unfiltered charm and warmth.

“To spend 10 minutes with Donald Trump is to realize that 95 percent of what the corporate media writes about him is fake.”

Usha is all in on Team JD

Despite her liberal background, Usha fully supports her husband's political ambitions. Friends say she's incredibly strong and knows how much JD wants to be president.

“He would never do anything if she was against it.”

Tucker Carlson pushed Trump to pick Vance

In 2024, Carlson and Donald Trump Jr. persuaded the president to choose Vance as running mate over Marco Rubio and Doug Burgum.

A self-avowed conspiracy theorist

After Charlie Kirk's assassination, Vance spoke of a leftist infrastructure fomenting violence. He's questioned official narratives and embraced conspiracy thinking for years.

Two theories about what he believes

Some see Vance as an opportunist who tacks with political winds. Others believe he's a true believer in Christian nationalism who could reshape American democracy.

The Iran war threatens 2028

Vance must defend a war he initially opposed while leading negotiations to end it. Tucker Carlson's opposition to the conflict could make him a formidable 2028 opponent.