JD Vance’s time on the trail has often been overshadowed by self-made controversy

Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance has been an aggressive messenger for Donald Trump’s campaign vision for the future and is a constant fixture on the trail, doing interviews and taking questions from the press.

But in the 11 weeks since Vance joined the GOP presidential ticket, that message hasbeen overshadowed by controversy — often of Vance’s own making.

His acceptance speech in Milwaukee at the Republican National Convention was heavy on biography and nodded towards a more polished take on Trump’s often dire rhetoric.

“My friends, tonight is a night of hope,” he said. “A celebration of what America once was, and with God’s grace, what it will soon be again. And it is a reminder of the sacred duty we have to preserve the American experiment, to choose a new path for our children and grandchildren.”

Vance’s selection came at a moment when Trump was leading in key battleground polls after President Biden’s poor debate performance and the GOP was rallying around Trump after an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania. The freshman Ohio senator was viewed as the MAGA heir apparent to the party’s future.

But in the run-up to Tuesday's vice presidential debate between Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, there have been two conflicting forces at work on the trail: the message that Vance wants to get out, and what actually sticks.

Take his first solo campaign rally in his hometown, just days after the RNC, where he delivered a populist speech vowing to help lift up “forgotten communities all across our country.”

“We’re going to fight for every single worker in this country,” he said. “If you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to put a good dinner on the table and send your kids to whatever