Sofia Nelson, a transgender public defender in Detroit, shared dozens of emails dating from mid-2014 to early 2017.
“It had been a friendship of the special type forged in young adulthood, before the accumulation of life responsibilities and fateful decisions already made. Now, it was over.” https://t.co/k3OqGoId3V
— Shen Lu (@shenlulushen) July 27, 2024
The correspondence shows Vance being critical of former President Donald Trump, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and the police. He also expressed personal warmth and concern over how he had described Nelson’s identity in his best-selling book, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
ICYMI: In a major development from the @nytimes, former Yale law classmate of JD Vance Sofia Nelson revealed how the VP pick abandoned their friendship to pursue MAGA political power. ➡️ https://t.co/TKsZ0082F1 pic.twitter.com/OhPAHeeB9D
— HRC 🥥🌴 (@HRC) July 29, 2024
Nelson reflected on the drastic change in Vance’s political stance, saying, “I don’t see any of the man that I got to know and care about.
These conversations reinforce what we already know about JD Vance: He has and will change his opinion to appease Donald Trump and anti- women, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-equality politicians. https://t.co/1wV2Csrk60 pic.twitter.com/awlpuVWlSv
— HRC 🥥🌴 (@HRC) July 27, 2024
It’s really heartbreaking to see him become so callous and divisive.” This statement comes as Vance has shifted from being privately critical of Trump to becoming one of the former president’s staunchest defenders. A spokesperson for Vance said: “Sen. Vance values his friendships with individuals across the political spectrum.
“.. The emails, in which Mr. Vance criticizes former President Donald J. Trump both for ‘racism’ and as a ‘morally reprehensible human being,’ add to an already-existing body of evidence showing Mr. Vance’s ideological pivot ..”
@nytimes https://t.co/3zIqkRaOZK
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) July 27, 2024
He has been open about the fact that some of his views from a decade ago began to change after becoming a dad and starting a family, and he has thoroughly explained why he changed his mind about President Trump. Despite their disagreements, Sen.
Vance’s shifting political views
Vance cares for Sofia and wishes Sofia the very best.”
The emails showcase a man who, at the time, described himself as conservative but was sharply critical of Trump. In December 2015, Vance wished for Trump to “tone down the racism,” and in October 2016, he called Trump “a morally reprehensible human being.”
Despite their friendship, the relationship between Vance and Nelson became strained when Vance supported legislation that would criminalize gender-affirming care for minors. Last year, he introduced a bill called the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” to impose such a federal ban.
“That was incredibly hurtful, and I communicated that to him,” Nelson said. I was disappointed, hurt, and scared because I remembered what it was like to be a kid and think that there was something wrong with me.”
The emails also detail Vance’s past views on law enforcement and other social issues.
In 2014, Vance suggested that police officers should be required to wear body cameras, saying, “I hate the police.”
Nelson concluded by describing Vance as a “chameleon” who changes positions and values depending on what will amass his political power and wealth. “This isn’t someone who evolved on one or two issues with new information. This is someone who has changed their opinion on every imaginable issue that affects everyday Americans in this country and changed how they speak about people,” she said.
