Side-By-Side Pics Of JD Vance Show Just How Much Politics Has Changed Him

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Believe it or not, JD Vance actually had a whole life before becoming Donald Trump's vice president. The former Ohio senator endured a rough childhood, which JD documented in detail in his bestselling memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis." Following the events of 9/11, JD Vance joined the military, completed law school at Yale, married wife Usha Vance, and became the father of the couple's three children.

Politics is not for the faint of heart. No matter which causes you support or oppose, people won't like you, and they'll be super vocal about it, both online and IRL. Before entering politics, JD used to be able to go places without being bombarded by protesters. Now, not even a family holiday is safe from persecution. Working in the White House tends to age a person past their four or eight years in office, as seen with previous presidents like Barack Obama and George W. Bush. While JD doesn't look like he's aged a decade overnight (yet), the VP does look considerably different than how he did before this became his life.

First, JD Vance has had a major weight loss transformation, which is most notable in his face. The Trump staffer has also grown a beard, with JD Vance's facial hair holding more meaning than you may realize. Moreover, he noticeably has bigger bags under his eyes now than beforehand, which makes sense, because his is definitely not a stress-free job.

While JD Vance looks much older and tougher now than he did before entering the chaotic world of politics, his viewpoints also seem to have changed significantly. In 2020, years before Vance hopped on the MAGA bandwagon with Donald Trump, a movie adapted from his hit memoir debuted in limited theaters, followed by a Netflix release. Glenn Close appeared as Vance's beloved grandmother alongside Amy Adams as his troubled mother. Hollywood veteran Ron Howard directed the movie about Vance's life and shared his thoughts about the former Ohio senator's conservative beliefs with Variety in 2022.

Howard was taken aback by Vance's position on many topics. "When I was getting to know JD, we didn't talk politics because I wasn't interested in that about his life," he reasoned. "To me, he struck me as a very moderate center-right kind of guy." That may have been how the vice president used to be, but he has clearly shifted to a full-on conservative stance now. Howard also revealed that a political career didn't appear to be on Vance's radar back then; he just wanted to focus on raising his family and being a businessman. Moreover, he really wasn't a fan of Trump, with the filmmaker noting, "He didn't like him at all."

In January 2025, Close was a guest on "The View" and the esteemed actor confirmed that the family spent a ton of time with the actors to help authenticate their performances. When it was mentioned how much Vance's personality has since altered, Close cheekily quipped, "I don't know what happened."