Nia-Malika Henderson, Columnist

Vance’s Mentor Is Also His Millstone

December 7, 2025 at 1:00 PM UTC

Nia-Malika Henderson is a politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. A former senior political reporter for CNN and the Washington Post, she has covered politics and campaigns for almost two decades.

Low poll numbers are a heavy load.
Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Provide news feedback or report an error

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

Vice President JD Vance’s political rise has been as meteoric as it has been unlikely. In less than a decade, Vance has transformed himself from a memoirist, pundit and center-right critic of President Donald Trump to a MAGA maximalist and Trump’s apparent successor. At 41, he has a better chance of being the next president than almost anyone, with Trump frequently nodding to Vance as his heir.

If all goes according to Trump’s plan, Vance will be the Republican nominee in 2028.