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JD Vance: The Vice President With A History Of Provocative Statements | A Look At His Most Notable Quotes

US Vice President JD Vance has made a range of notable statements throughout his career, sparking both praise and criticism.

US Vice-President JD Vance
US President JD Vance Photo: AP
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United States Vice President JD Vance's journey has been nothing short of remarkable. From criticising US President Donald Trump – even comparing him to Hitler – to becoming his running mate, Vance's transformation has sparked intense interest and debate.

Throughout his political and non-political career, Vance has made various statements, both controversial and non-controversial, before and after becoming Vice President of the United States.

Here's a closer look at J.D. Vance's controversial and non-controversial remarks:

Trump Is America's Hitler

Once a fierce critic of Donald Trump, in 2016, Vance wrote, "I go back and forth between thinking Trump is a cynical a**hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler," according to the Daily Mail.

However, there is no known video of Vance making this statement. The comment was reported in text form, and when it surfaced in 2022, Reuters reported that a spokesperson for Vance did not dispute it but said it no longer represented his views.

Trump Is Unfit For Our Nation

In another instance, JD Vance wrote an op-ed for The New York Times titled 'Why Trump's Antiwar Message Resonates with White America' in 2016.

Vance wrote, "Mr Trump is unfit for our nation's highest office. This appeared near the end of the op-ed, where he discussed Trump's appeal to working-class voters while criticising his suitability for the presidency," as per reports.

According to a Forbes report, Vance was promoting his memoir Hillbilly Elegy and was openly critical of Trump, describing himself as a "Never Trump Guy" in interviews, such as one with Charlie Rose in October 2016.

Vance Shifts Views About Trump

Vance's views on Trump shifted by 2021. He soon became a Trump supporter and eventually secured Trump's endorsement for his 2022 Senate campaign. In 2024, Vance then became Trump's vice-presidential running mate for the presidential elections.

Since then, he has expressed regret for his earlier criticisms, stating in 2024 that he was "wrong about Trump" and had been misled by media narratives.

A Vocal Opponent Of Abortion Rights

In January 2021, during a podcast with Eric Weinstein (as cited by the Washington Post), Vance said he "certainly would like abortion to be illegal nationally" and described himself as "100 per cent pro-life". and was "sympathetic" to the view that a national ban was necessary to stop people from travelling across states to access an abortion.

"I’m pro-life; I think abortion is a tragedy. I think it라이브 바카라 the destruction of human life, and I think we should do everything we can to limit it and restrict it. But I also think we need to have a real conversation about how we support mothers and families so that they don’t feel like abortion is their only option," he said.

'Childless Cat Ladies'

In July 2021 Vance's created a controversy when he refered to women who have no children as "childless cat ladies". The comment was made during an interview with Tucker Carlson on Fox News.

According to reports, Vance specifically named Vice President Kamala Harris, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as examples of "childless" Democratic leaders.

“We’re effectively run in this country, via the Democrats, via our corporate oligarchs, by a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made, and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too. … The entire future of the Democrats is controlled by people without children. And how does it make any sense that we’ve turned our country over to people who don’t really have a direct stake in it?," as quoted by CNN.

It widely resurfaced in 2024 when he became the Republican vice presidential nominee.

After the row, many celebrities, including popstar Taylor Swift, endorsed Kamala Harris and referred to themselves as "childless cat ladies".

In an Instagram post, Taylor Swift wrote, "I am voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe in, like a woman's right to her own body. I've done my research, and I've made my choice. With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady."

JD Vance Shakes Europe At Munich Security Conference

On February 14, 2025, at the Munich Security Conference, Vance criticised the stance of European countries on burning issues such as free speech and immigration.

"The Cold War positioned defenders of democracy against much more tyrannical forces on this continent. Consider the side in that fight that censored dissidents, that closed churches, that cancelled elections—were they the good guys? Certainly not, and thank God they lost,” Vance said.

Vance Clashes With Zelenskyy Over War Strategy

After he took office in February 2025, Vance was part of a heated exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump at the White House.

It became controversial when Zelensky questioned the effectiveness of diplomacy with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing broken ceasefires in the past, and Vance intervened.

"I’m talking about the kind of diplomacy that라이브 바카라 going to end the destruction of your country. Mr President, with respect, I think it라이브 바카라 disrespectful for you to come into the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media. Right now, you guys are going around and forcing conscripts to the front lines because you have manpower problems. You should be thanking the president for trying to bring an end to this conflict," he said.

The meeting was broadcast globally, and Vance's remarks were criticised by European leaders and US Democrats.

Furthermore, Vance repeatedly asked Zelenskyy ‘have you said thank you’ once?" during the meeting. This remark from Vance prompted the Ukrainian president to go on a public thank-you campaign and spree on X.

Under The US 'Security Umbrella,' Greenland Will Be Better

"Our message to Denmark is very simple: You have not done a good job for the people of Greenland. You have underinvested in the people of Greenland, and you have underinvested in the security architecture of this incredible, beautiful landmass filled with incredible people. That has to change, and because it hasn't changed, this is why President Trump's policy in Greenland is what it is," he said.

The statement criticised Denmark's governance and security efforts in Greenland, aligning with the Trump administration's push for US control over the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Vance has suggested to the people of Greenland that they would be better off under the US "security umbrella" and predicted they would choose independence from Denmark.

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