 He sure was a never-Trumper early on. But again, that's when Donald Trump was first running for president, even just early in his presidency. Recall, J.D. Vance at that point was a best-selling author and someone who'd made a small fortune in investment banking. He was not yet a U.S. senator. That wouldn't happen until the 2022 election. He, of course, took office in January 2020.