The New Vice Presidency: How Trump is Rewriting the Rules – and What it Means for 2028
The contrast is stark. While Kamala Harris struggled to define a visible role within the Biden administration, often fading into the background despite her historic firsts, JD Vance has exploded onto the political scene as Donald Trump’s fiercely outspoken, relentlessly engaged vice president. This isn’t accidental. It’s a deliberate strategy, signaling a fundamental shift in how the vice presidency is perceived and utilized – and it could reshape the future of American politics.
From Invisible to Indispensable: The Trump Model
For decades, the conventional wisdom held that vice presidents should be seen and not heard, quietly supporting the president while avoiding the spotlight. Kamala Harris’s experience exemplified this expectation. As experts like Jody Baumgartner of East Carolina University point out, “Vice presidents are only as active as their presidents want them to be.” Harris, burdened by unrealistic expectations and constrained by circumstances like the COVID-19 lockdown and a razor-thin Senate majority requiring frequent tie-breaking votes, found herself largely sidelined. She cast a record number of tie-breaking votes, a testament to her necessity in a divided Senate, but it wasn’t a path to public prominence.
Trump, however, operates by a different playbook. He doesn’t value the traditional, understated role. He creates the narrative. As Christopher Devine, a University of Dayton professor specializing in the vice presidency, explains, Trump “wanted someone who was going to be aggressive in advancing the MAGA narrative, being very present in media.” Vance, with his background as a media figure and author of “Hillbilly Elegy” – a book often cited as a key to understanding the frustrations of the MAGA base – was the perfect choice. He’s not being asked to govern; he’s being asked to perform, to amplify Trump’s message, and to act as a rhetorical weapon.
Grooming a Successor? The Vance Experiment
The difference extends beyond mere visibility. Trump appears to be actively grooming Vance for a potential future presidential run. This contrasts sharply with Joe Biden’s approach to Harris, where a reluctant concession to pressure was needed after a disastrous debate performance. While Trump’s ambitions for a third term are constitutionally dubious, the intention is clear: Vance is being positioned as the heir apparent. This is a calculated move, leveraging Vance’s media savvy and willingness to embrace a combative style.
This strategy isn’t without risk. Vance’s pugnacious approach, while energizing the Republican base, also alienates a significant portion of the electorate. Like Trump, he suffers from low approval ratings. However, Trump seems to prioritize loyalty and ideological alignment over broad appeal, believing that a fired-up base is sufficient for victory. This echoes a broader trend in political polarization, where appealing to the extremes can be more effective than seeking consensus.
The Evolving Role of the VP: Beyond Policy to Performance
The shift from Harris’s policy-focused portfolio – tackling the root causes of migration, a task even her husband described as “impossible” – to Vance’s role as a “heat-seeking rhetorical missile” highlights a fundamental change in the expectations of the vice presidency. Biden saw Harris as a partner in governing; Trump sees Vance as an extension of his own brand. Jamal Simmons, a former communications chief for Harris, succinctly puts it: “Vance is very effective at playing the role of backup singer who gets to have a solo from time to time.” Harris, accustomed to leading, struggled to adapt to a supporting role.
Implications for Future Campaigns
This new model has significant implications for future presidential campaigns. Will other candidates follow Trump’s lead, selecting running mates based on their ability to generate headlines and rally the base, rather than their legislative experience or policy expertise? It’s likely. The traditional emphasis on “balance” on the ticket may become less important as candidates prioritize ideological purity and media appeal. This could lead to a further decline in the perceived importance of the vice presidency as an independent office, reinforcing the idea that the VP is merely an extension of the president’s personality and agenda.
Furthermore, the success (or failure) of the Vance experiment will be closely watched. If Vance’s aggressive style helps to energize the Republican base and drive turnout in 2024, it could become the new standard for vice presidential campaigning. However, if his unpopularity proves to be a drag on the ticket, it could serve as a cautionary tale.
The evolving role of the vice presidency reflects a broader trend towards the personalization of politics. In an era of social media and 24/7 news cycles, candidates are increasingly judged on their charisma and ability to connect with voters on an emotional level. The vice president, once a largely invisible figure, is now being asked to play a more prominent role in shaping the narrative and mobilizing support. Brookings Institute research highlights the increasing demands placed on modern VPs.
What are your predictions for the future of the vice presidency? Will we see more VPs like JD Vance, or will the traditional model eventually reassert itself? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
