JD Vance, the Vice President, made efforts in 2016 to connect with Hillary Clinton's campaign. This action, according to sources involved in these discussions, was aimed at offering assistance or advice to Clinton in her quest for victory in the 2016 general election.
Efforts to Connect with Clinton's Advisors
According to one person who acted as an intermediary between Vance and the Clinton campaign, Vance was eager to reach out to Jake Sullivan, Clinton's senior policy advisor. This individual stated, "JD called me and said, 'Can you introduce me to Jake Sullivan?'" However, Sullivan was busy managing Clinton's campaign at the time and seemed to lack sufficient time.
Nevertheless, Vance was eventually able to arrange a meeting with Sullivan. In this meeting, they discussed Clinton's strategy for the so-called Blue Wall states, including Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Vance's home state of Ohio. Vance, who was recognized as a political analyst at the time, warned Clinton that she needed to pay attention to the growing populist sentiments in the country.
Concerns About the Election and Its Outcome
According to sources close to this meeting, Vance advised Sullivan that they needed to focus on winning against Donald Trump. He told Sullivan that Clinton should come to key states instead of attending events with celebrities like Beyoncé and apologize to the people for the Iraq War. He also recommended that Clinton visit the Blue Wall states and address the concerns of the people.
Ultimately, Clinton lost in all of these states, and this defeat appeared to stem from her perception as a member of the political establishment, while Trump capitalized on discontent against this establishment. A spokesperson for Vance denied the claims that he wanted Clinton to win the election, stating, "We completely reject the claim that he was trying to help Hillary win."
However, those who were aware of Vance's thoughts at the time had a different perspective. One of these individuals said, "He told me, 'I don't like Hillary. But I dislike Trump even more. Trump cannot win. He cannot win. Hillary is losing, but she shouldn't be.'" These concerns reflect the contradictions in Vance's views on Trump and Clinton at that time.
Vance also referred to Trump as "America's Hitler" in a text message to a friend in 2016 and pointed out the troubling sentiments among Republican voters. In this message, he emphasized the need to provide solutions for these voters and stated that the Republican Party must pay attention to this demographic.
Source: independent.co.uk
