Overview
- Vanity Fair reporting published Wednesday says JD Vance privately asked an intermediary to put him in touch with Jake Sullivan and later met with Sullivan about Clinton’s 2016 strategy.
- Sources quoted in the piece say Vance urged the campaign to focus on Midwestern Blue Wall states and to change messaging by apologizing for the Iraq vote and fixing the “basket of deplorables” problem.
- The account rests on intermediaries and people close to Sullivan rather than campaign records or on‑the‑record confirmation from senior Clinton campaign officials.
- Vance’s office issued a categorical denial through spokeswoman Taylor Van Kirk, saying he never tried to help Clinton win and that he advised both parties about working‑class towns.
- The episode highlights Vance’s shift from private 2016 opposition to President Trump to later embracing Trump and becoming his vice president and may prompt further reporting and requests for direct confirmation from campaign principals.