Published On 5/7/2026
|
Last update: 14:33 (Mecca time)
To coincide with the 250th anniversary of US independence, The Atlantic republished an article written by J.D. Vance 10 years ago (on July 4, 2016), to highlight the stark contrast in his political career.
The Atlantic prefaced its article with the following sentence: “10 years ago, the vice president wrote that one day, voters would learn the truth about Donald Trump. And that day has now come.”
By republishing, the magazine aims to give readers an opportunity to evaluate how Vance transformed from one of the most prominent critics of Donald Trump to his deputy, and the most likely candidate to lead the “MAGA” movement in the 2028 elections.
The most prominent topics of the 2016 article
Vance started from his experience in a community that suffered from economic and social collapse in the state of Ohio, and stressed that Trump’s supporters are not extremists, but rather marginalized groups suffering from unemployment, the disintegration of families, and a lack of trust in the government, which made them vulnerable to believing populist rhetoric.
Under the title “Opium for the Masses,” Vance compared Trump to “cultural heroin” and his promises to “a needle in America’s vein,” considering that Trump makes simplistic promises that give voters a temporary feeling of power, but he is unable to address the real causes of the crises.
Vance expected at the time that voters would realize sooner or later that Trump would not solve their problems, calling on them to look for realistic solutions instead of slogans, and The Atlantic today notes that “this day that Vance spoke about has come.”
In a related context, The Hill newspaper indicated that Vance’s transition from a fierce opponent of Trump to a close ally of him still raises questions from his supporters and critics alike.
Vance had justified this shift during his campaign for the Senate, explaining that his previous views changed after he personally witnessed Trump’s performance during his first presidential term. It is noteworthy that the White House did not comment on The Hill’s request to clarify this position.
