If you’ve been paying attention to US politics over the last couple of years you might have clocked the rise of JD Vance in the Republican Party - but you can be forgiven if the first you’d heard of him was when former President Donald Trump announced him as his running mate for November’s election. So in this Shortcut, we’ll get you across who he is, his brand of politics, and what the experts say about what he would bring to office.

Squiz recommends:

Reading/watching: Read Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy or watch the film version on Netflix. If you’re interested in this election, it’s a good thing to have up your sleeve. 

Reading: This short explainer on Project 2025 from Axios. Project 2025 is a blue-print laid down by a right-wing organisation called the Heritage Foundation that keeps popping up in the coverage on US politics. Vance hasn’t endorsed it, but he has written a forward for a book by its architect Kevin Roberts.

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