Letter to the editor: Last Tango with POTUS

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 08.06.26

JD Vance’s dances with Donald have produced more head-snapping reversals than a Tango.

In 2016, Vance called Trump “a total fraud,” “a moral disaster” and “America’s Hitler.” He said, “I can’t stomach Trump,” and declared himself a “never-Trump Guy.” Vance concluded, “Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”

When America saw the “Access Hollywood” tape in which Trump bragged that his celebrity allows him to grab women’s privates, Vance wrote: “Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us.”

In his 2016 essay “Opioid of the Masses,” Vance warned Americans of “a new pain reliever. It enters minds, not through lungs or veins, but through eyes and ears, and its name is Donald Trump.

“Trump offers an easy escape from the pain. To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution.

“He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein. Trump is cultural heroin.”

In 2024, with more agility than grace, Vance leaped at the chance to be Trump’s partner. He executed a complete 180 — eagerly, publicly and frequently. “I was wrong about Donald Trump,” Vance proclaimed, “I was very, very proud to be proven wrong.” Vance’s pivot was so breathtaking it was worthy of Baryshnikov.

Now, with two-thirds of Americans opposing Trump’s Iran War, Vance performed another about-face. He told Joe Rogan he wasn’t “enthusiastic” about attacking Iran, blamed Israeli politicians for prolonging the war, and said we can’t bomb Iran into “oblivion” without creating “94 million” refugees, sending terrorists “flooding into the United States.”

Fox News’ Marc Theissen accused Vance of “contradicting the president a lot in public lately and it’s not helpful.”

Obviously, Vance thinks it’s helpful — for Vance. With Trump’s approval ratings at record lows, JD “Just Dance” Vance acts like his best chance in 2028 is to ditch his dance partner and moonwalk away from Trump.

Vince Amoroso

Sunset Beach