JD Vance: From 'America's Hitler' and Helping Hillary to Trump's VP - Next, Trump Will Destroy Him

JD Vance, Peter Thiel, and the Hillary Clinton backchannel nobody knew about — breaking down Chris Whipple's bombshell Vanity Fair piece "God and Vance at Yale."

Michelle Kinney digs into the new reporting on JD Vance's Yale Law years, his relationship with mentor Amy Chua, how his wife Usha outshone him academically at every turn, the shocking revelation that Vance privately tried to help Hillary Clinton beat Trump in 2016, and how Peter Thiel engineered Vance's entire political rise. Plus: why Trump may not let Vance survive to 2028.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro, welcome back from Breaking the News
00:43 – Topic intro: JD Vance
01:26 – Whipple's "God and Vance at Yale" (Vanity Fair) introduced
02:56 – Michelle's take: "very cynical about JD Vance"
03:27 – Why Yale sources were afraid to speak on record
04:20 – Amy Chua closeness (WHCD text story)
04:58 – Chua background (Tiger Mom, Yale mentor, immigrant parallel)
06:57 – "Empty shell" / Talented Mr. Ripley comparison
07:25 – "Craven opportunist? Yes" verdict; Chua "full of shit"
08:07 – Usha introduced, compared to Hillary Clinton
08:26 – Julie joins
09:52 – "Chilly fish" quote
10:15 – "Doesn't believe in anything" / Marine Corps PR background
10:42 – Peter Thiel enters the story
12:32 – "Daddy" / Thiel as the seminal figure in his life
17:25 – Hillary Clinton backchannel story setup
18:06 – "I hate Hillary, but I hate Trump more" quote
19:03 – Prediction: Trump will destroy him before he can be nominee
19:21 – Trump 2028 gift-shop hat anecdote
20:33 – Deep dive: Silicon Valley–DC–Hungary–Kremlin network
21:00 – Peter Thiel background (PayPal, 2016 RNC, "Antichrist")
23:12 – Rockbridge Network and Chris Buskirk introduced
27:01 – Buskirk's backstory (debt, dry cleaner lawsuits)
31:10 – 2019 Rockbridge summit attendees
32:09 – Catholic conversion / Opus Dei ties
33:10 – Ad clip #1: "JD Vance thinks you are stupid" (opioid/Purdue Pharma ad)
34:10 – Reflection on that ad, four years later
36:57 – "Empty shell" theme revisited — attaching to powerful people
38:07 – Usha's liberal family background; Vance's Yale friendship with a trans woman
39:57 – Setup for the grandparents'/domestic violence controversy
42:47 – Ad clip #2: "Abuser" ad (domestic violence comments)
44:07 – Susie Wiles quote: Vance's conversion "purely political" vs. Rubio's
49:56 – Ad clip #3: "Give us another chance"
55:56 – Wrap-up
56:44 – Sign-off begins (Big Internet Upgrades for Mayday, NY1, Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Follow The Mayday Network for more commentary, analysis, and rapid response — new content every day.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/the-mayday-network/id6754000270
Spotify: search "The Mayday Network"
Substack: https://substack.com/@themaydaynetwork
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheMaydayNetwork
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@TheMaydayNetwork
Website: https://www.themaydaynetwork.com