As US President-elect Donald Trump celebrates his electoral success and appears at public events with his select group, Vice President-elect JD Vance's absence is quite noticeable.
At the Republican National Convention in July, Trump named JD Vance, an Ohio US senator and author of the bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, as his running mate. This choice pleased his sons, Donald Jr and Eric, along with prominent supporter and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who declared the ticket "resounds with victory."
Vance faced significant backlash for his remarks about "childless cat ladies", referring to Kamala Harris as a "demon", and his claims regarding Haitian immigrants' alleged behaviour in Ohio's small towns. Additionally, there appeared to be some disagreement between him and Trump regarding their positions on abortion.
Nevertheless, his pre-election debate performance against Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee Kamala Harris's VP selection, received widespread acclaim from supporters, opponents, and political analysts.
Despite facing criticism for supporting claims about the 2020 election results, his popularity increased as he supported Trump's candidacy. The New York Times noted his debate performance as one of the best debating performances by a Republican nominee for president or vice president in recent memory.
"He turned out to be a good choice," Trump said in his victory address at Mar-a-Lago after winning the election. "I took a little heat at the beginning, but I knew the brain was a good one - as good as it gets."
Trump's close associates have significantly changed since his 2016 campaign. His daughter Ivanka has been replaced by wealthy individuals, political commentators, and supporters.
His current group includes Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, potential Health and Human Services nominee Robert F Kennedy Jr, and proposed US intelligence services nominee Tulsi Gabbard, who accompanied him to Saturday's UFC fight in New York.
Vivek Ramaswamy and podcaster Joe Rogan were also present. However, Vance remains absent from these gatherings, including a widely shared photograph on X showing Trump and his associates with Big Macs and Coke.
This has prompted numerous online discussions questioning Vance's whereabouts.
Kamala Harris similarly maintained a low profile during Joe Biden's presidency due to poor approval ratings in 2021, falling below even Iraq war architect Dick Cheney, particularly regarding immigration policies. Questions arise whether Vance will follow a similar pattern of reduced visibility over the next four years.
Vance's most recent public sighting occurred Friday at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where he spent quiet time with his wife, Usha, and their children, Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.
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