The Republican vice presidential nominee noted the many changes that have occurred for his family since he became a candidate.
Podcaster Joe Rogan on Oct. 31 released a roughly three-and-a-half-hour interview with Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
During the interview, Rogan and Vance touched on a variety of topics related both to politics and Vance’s personal life. Here are the biggest takeaways from the podcast.
How Trump Chose Him
Near the start of the interview, Vance discussed how he was selected to be Trump’s running mate—and how it’s changed his and his family’s life.
Vance said he didn’t learn that Trump had picked him until July 15, the first day of the Republican National Convention. That day, he said he missed Trump’s first effort to call him as he was playing with his children.
A few minutes later, he realized that he had missed the call and called Trump back.
“Hey, sir, what’s going on?” Vance recalled saying.
He said Trump replied: “JD, you’ve just missed a very important phone call. I’m gonna have to pick someone else.”
Vance said he began to panic, only for Trump to say: “No, I’m just kidding. Obviously, I want you to be my vice president.”
Vance said the call wasn’t a total surprise; by that point, he believed he had about a 60 percent chance of being picked for the No. 2 job.
Though Vance has been a U.S. Senator since 2023, he said he was able to remain somewhat anonymous most of the time—people often had no idea who he was.
“It’s definitely weird just not being anonymous at all anymore,” Vance said.
He noted the many changes that have occurred for his family since he became a candidate: his child’s schoolmates have started a game called “boss man” where they pretend to be Secret Service agents; Vance can’t drive his family around anymore; and he receives both praise and condemnation from people in public.
“There are a lot of benefits to it. There’s a lot of downsides to it,” Vance said. “It’s what I asked for. I don’t have to think too much about it or complain too much about it. I just try to accept it.”
By Joseph Lord and Jacob Burg
