July 18, 2024

There Simply Is No J.D. Vance Without Tucker Carlson

Trump’s VP pick built a following—and his ideological talking points—under the tutelage of the powerful former Fox star.

A composite image of Tucker Carlson and J.D. Vance

Mother Jones illustration; Brian Cahn/ZUMA; Carolyn Kaster/AP

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This week, the Republican National Convention confirmed Ohio senator and Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance as their vice presidential nominee for this year’s election. This came as a surprise to some—especially considering Vance’s comments about the former president comparing Trump to Hitler. But like many of Donald Trump’s decisions, this one was also inspired by Fox News.

Specifically, Tucker Carlson.

When you line up Vance’s full range of media appearances since he burst into the American consciousness, it’s difficult to overstate Carlson’s influence: from poor “hillbilly” to New York Times bestselling author to Republican Senator to possibly the second-most powerful person in the country. In my new video, I show how Carlson put Vance on a pedestal, giving him time to mold his image from a center-right-ish commentator to an ultra-conservative crusader in the culture wars. According to Media Matters, Vance appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight 46 times between 2018 and 2023, when Carlson was fired from the network. This coverage paired with Carlson’s frequent and passionate endorsements of Vance portrayed him as a viable option for Vice President, despite a controversial record on abortion, climate change, and foreign policy.

Tucker Carlson saw something in JD Vance: a vessel for power, for billionaires’ dollars, and for a vision of the future Carlson never got to finalize at Fox.

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From the desk of Mother Jones CEO, Monika Bauerlein...

Newsrooms can be funded in many ways. One of the most controversial (and volatile) ways is by a for-profit corporation or a billionaire owner. We see it across the headlines on a weekly basis: the claw backs in public media, the gutting of The Washington Post, the bending over backwards to appeal to Trump and his allies.

But not here.

When Mother Jones first started publishing 50 years ago, our founders made a critical decision: to be a reader-supported nonprofit. They knew that no corporate owner would be interested in a muckraking newsroom; they also knew that no muckraking newsroom would be interested in following the agenda of a corporate owner.

And so, we’ve been reader-funded for half a century. We rely on contributions from our readers—readers like you—whether it’s $50, or $15 a month, or whatever fits your budget. People give what they can, and every donation makes a difference for our newsroom, which has grown tremendously—in size and reach and renown—since its inception in 1976.

You may be wondering: What does it take to publish an investigation? And what does my donation actually fund? The answers are one and the same: It takes people, resources, and time. And that’s what your donation funds directly.

Every donation Mother Jones receives from readers fortifies our newsroom, whether we’re covering underreported scandals out of Washington, DC, or the most important news of the day. And right now, each donation will be doubled because of our $50,000 match. So when you make a donation—$5, $50, any amount—it’ll go twice as far.

Your support keeps us going. If you’re able, donate today.

Thanks for reading.

—Monika

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