A New York Times columnist shocked conservatives by suggesting JD Vance’s mother should have sold him to fuel her drug addiction, exposing raw media bias against a story of redemption.
Story Snapshot
- NYT columnist Jamelle Bouie mocked Vance’s mother, Beverly, amid her past addiction detailed in Hillbilly Elegy.
- Vance credits Trump for his family’s health care shift from Medicaid to private insurance via Ohio’s ACA marketplace.
- Critics highlight Vance’s 2017 NYT column opposing full ACA repeal as harming the poor, contrasting his current Trump support.
- Washington Post report verified by Vance campaign reveals ACA enabled mother’s post-recovery coverage.
- Expert Andrew Sprung notes irony: family benefited from ACA Trump tried to dismantle.
JD Vance’s Family Overcame Addiction Through ACA Marketplace
Beverly Vance Aikins battled severe addiction in Appalachia’s opioid crisis, as her son JD detailed in his 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy. She relied on Medicaid during her struggles. After recovery, she qualified for Ohio’s Affordable Care Act marketplace. This shift to private insurance stabilized her finances post-2010 ACA enactment. Vance’s personal narrative underscores resilience amid poverty, yet policy details reveal Democratic legislation’s role. Conservatives value such self-reliance, aligning with common-sense recovery paths.
Vance Credits Trump in 2024 Debate Despite 2017 Critique
During the October 2024 VP debate, JD Vance praised Donald Trump for enabling his mother and a Florida cousin to leave Medicaid for better coverage. He omitted the ACA marketplace mechanism. In 2017, Vance wrote a New York Times column criticizing GOP repeal bills. Those proposals preserved Obamacare regulations without supports for low-income Americans. Trump-era efforts failed to fully repeal ACA, leaving marketplaces intact. Vance’s evolution reflects political alignment, but facts show continuity in coverage systems.
Washington Post Exposes Policy Inconsistencies
The Washington Post reported Vance’s mother transitioned via Ohio’s ACA after addiction recovery and financial stability. Vance’s campaign confirmed details. Critics frame this as hypocrisy since Trump and GOP sought ACA dismantling. Potential Trump-Vance policies could reintroduce pre-existing condition penalties, raising premiums for low-income families like Vance’s. Health analyst Andrew Sprung argues the family should thank failed repeal efforts for sustained coverage. Common sense prioritizes protections for vulnerable Americans over deregulation risks.
New Republic amplified the report, calling Vance quiet on these facts amid his Trump praise. Media debate centers on selective storytelling from Vance’s poverty narrative.
NYT Columnist’s Vile Attack Ignites Backlash
Jamelle Bouie, a New York Times columnist, posted a shocking social media rant mocking Beverly Vance’s addiction. He implied she should have sold JD to fund drugs, twisting Hillbilly Elegy struggles into cruelty. This attack distorts a redemption story conservatives champion. Facts show no such claim in original reports; Bouie’s words reveal elitist disdain for working-class pain. American values demand respect for recovery, not derision from coastal pundits.
NY Times Columnist Says Vance's Mother Should Have Sold Him To Feed Her Addiction https://t.co/7bwqrhYI8P
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 9, 2026
Impacts on Policy and Public Perception
Short-term, the controversy undermines Vance’s authenticity on addiction and poverty issues. Long-term, it revives ACA debates as Trump-Vance platforms eye deregulation. Appalachia communities, ex-addicts, and older low-income groups face higher costs without marketplaces. Socially, it highlights ACA’s role in recovery. Politically, GOP inconsistencies emerge despite Trump’s executive ACA tweaks. Conservative principles favor market solutions with safety nets, questioning full repeal wisdom.
Sources:
JD Vance Awfully Quiet After Report on How His Mom Got Health Care
