The Talented Mr. Vance

More than any other public figure of this century, including Barack Obama (to whom his career bears some similarities), and even Trump, Vance illuminates the larger subject of contemporary America’s character. Vance transformed himself into the fullest incarnation of the Trump reaction—fuller than Trump himself, because Vance is more intelligent and disciplined, less likely to wander and stop making sense. Like Trump, Vance shows no interest in governing on behalf of anyone outside MAGA. To succeed in the world of elites, Vance had to let himself be civilized, at a psychological cost. This article appears in the July 2025 print edition with the headline “The Talented Mr. Vance.” When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission.