Trump compares himself to NFL icon Vince Lombardi over his knack for identifying political talent

WASHINGTON, DC; Former president Donald Trump is currently thrilled with his running mate, JD Vance, and his aggressive campaigning to such an extent, that he has privately drawn comparisons between his ability to scout political talent and the athletic savvy of the five-time NFL champion Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi.

It is important to remember that Vince Lombardi was a longtime Democrat, an advocate for civil rights, and a Kennedy supporter. Lombardi biographer David Maraniss previously told The Washington Post that the coach “had no use for flamboyant egos” and “would have seen Trump as a representation of a changing culture that left him uncomfortable.”

JD Vance's flip-flop on Donald Trump

However, Donald Trump was unaware of the Ohio senator's extreme views on the former president, women and families when his campaign investigated possible vice presidential candidates, according to a report from The New York Times. 

JD Vance's transformation from a "Never Trump guy" to one of the former president's most ardent supporters is noteworthy. The 39-year-old best-selling author and former venture investor will become the second youngest vice president in history if Trump prevails in November. 

Vance took down disparaging tweets against the previous president and issued several excuses for his remarks against him before receiving Trump's support. Besides, he has stated that his previous views on Trump were incorrect and shouldn't be used against him.

During his first interview as the vice presidential contender, Vance stated that although he had previously been "certainly skeptical" of Trump, the former president had "changed my mind." "I actually think it's a good thing, when you see somebody, you were wrong about them, you ought to admit the mistake and admit that you were wrong," Vance said at the time, per Axios.

Vance also declared that he was "a Never Trump guy" and that he "never liked him" during an interview with Charlie Rose in 2016. 

"One of the things that's really driving attraction to Donald Trump is not any special quality of Donald Trump himself but of the fact that folks feel very resentful at the media establishment, the political establishment, the financial establishment and so forth," Vance said in the interview.

"One of the biggest drivers of Trump support, and one of the things that's most predictive of Trump support, is that you express cynicism about the future," he added.

JD Vance labeled Donald Trump 'America's Hitler'

JD Vance wrote during the 2016 election that he went "back and forth between thinking Donald Trump is a cynical a**hole like Nixon who wouldn't be that bad (and might even prove useful) or that he's America's Hitler." Vance made the parallel between Trump and Adolf Hitler in a message to an old friend and Democratic Georgia state representative Josh McLaurin. 

Latest clip from JD Vance’s controversial opinions to make the rounds 

The most recent example of JD Vance's controversial opinions to circulate surfaced on Saturday, August 31. The Republican vice presidential candidate claimed that professional women “choose a path to misery” by prioritizing their careers over having children, in a 2021 podcast interview.

“You have women who think that truly the liberationist path is to spend 90 hours a week working in a cubicle at McKinsey, instead of starting a family,” Vance said, per The Daily Beast. Additionally, Vance asserted during the same appearance that boys' and men's "traditional masculine traits are now actively suppressed from childhood all the way through adulthood."

Donald Trump reportedly thought of dropping JD Vance as his VP pick

Former advisor to former president Bill Clinton, Paul Begala, claimed that Donald Trump might remove Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential pick. 

Since Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination and President Joe Biden withdrew from the campaign, there have been numerous rumors that Trump is experiencing buyer's remorse over his selection of Vance as his running mate for 2024.

Concerns persist over whether Vance, an Ohio senator, could hurt Republicans in November, despite Trump's public declaration that he is pleased with the senator, stating in a Fox News interview that the senator is "doing a fantastic job" and has been "very well received" by the public.

Begala suggested that Trump would choose to replace Vance with former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. "There's a nonzero chance the Republicans take their vice presidential candidate off the ticket," Begala said. "He's been a dud. He's the first vice presidential nominee of either party since 1980 to begin underwater in his approval ratings."

"He's not good on the stump," he continued, per Newsweek. "I don't like Trump [but] he's really charismatic ... JD, so far, is just dull. This is a woman [Haley] campaigning to get on the ticket, you watch, this year. You watch."

Begala continued, asking "what a different race we would have" if Trump had selected Haley instead of Vance, claiming that she would serve as "a bridge" to possible swing voters, whom both parties were hoping to win over. "Trump is not good with long relationships," Begala concluded. "And he's not gonna hang in there with JD.

Donald Trump's running mate highlights both his political advantages and disadvantages

As per the polls cited by The Times, Donald Trump's running mate seems to accentuate Trump's political advantages and disadvantages, hence providing minimal opportunity for him to gain additional votes.

According to a poll conducted on August 6 by NPR, PBS News, and Marist, since Vance joined the GOP ticket, his approval rating has increased significantly among voters with the lowest levels of education, but it has decreased much more among independent and college-educated women voters. 61% of White women with college degrees said they thought poorly of Vance.

Democrats have seized the narrative that JD Vance is 'weird'

Democrats have grabbed the notion that the senator from Ohio is "weird." In an interview with Fox News from 2021, Vice President Kamala Harris was disparaged by JD Vance who called her a "childless cat lady." This was the first and most prominent video of Donald Trump's running mate to surface, and it went viral last month.

Vance also attacked childless teachers in that same year. “You know, so many of the leaders of the left, and I hate to be so personal about this, but they’re people without kids, trying to brainwash the minds of our children,” he told a Center for Christian Virtue leadership forum.

Still, three Trump supporters told the Times that Vance has "exceeded his expectations" as an "attack dog" and that the former president has brought him to power for fighting through the criticism of his record and previous remarks.

Internet calls out Donald Trump for comparing himself to Vince Lombardi

Donald Trump likening himself to Vince Lombardi for having exceptional skill in scouting political prospects has prompted criticisms by netizens online. One X user tweeted, "Trump has the discernment of a dead fly …" Another wrote, "No one ever said republicans are smart." "Trump doesn’t scout talent that’s the kremlin’s job," remarked one while someone else wrote, "Yes. He always loved his generals. Just to start…"

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