REUTERS/Gaelen Morse
- JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. have developed a close friendship and communicate "nearly daily," per The Times.
- Vance was once a critic of former President Trump but has become a champion of the ex-president.
- Per The Times, Vance is on the former president's list as a potential 2024 vice presidential pick.
When Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio arrived in the Senate last year, he was already a well-known figure, boosted by his best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" and its subsequent film adaptation.
For many GOP figures, Vance represents the future of the party, one that embraces the more isolationist "America First" worldview advanced by former President Donald Trump.