J.D. Vance’s Damning Texts to Far-Right Conspiracy Theorist Exposed
Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance regularly texts infamous far-right troll Charles C. Johnson, a conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier. The Washington Post reports that Vance received a text message through the encrypted messaging app Signal from Johnson shortly after being elected to the Senate in 2022, and corresponded with the blogger for 20 months, until just weeks before Donald Trump chose Vance as his running mate. The texting relationship between Vance and Johnson does not reflect well on the Ohio senator. Vance asked Johnson’s opinion on everything from UFOs to aid to Ukraine to the Republican Party’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vance even appeared to accept advice from Johnson, including a suggestion that the senator should work to restrict foreign ownership of housing. Johnson has promoted doubts about the Holocaust, created and promoted fake news stories about various politicians, and associated with neo-Nazis and white nationalists. But in their correspondence, Vance didn’t appear to be worried about that, instead expressing concern that Johnson was collecting information about him. “If you are who you say you are then don’t you have my phone tapped?” Vance wrote to Johnson last fall, possibly alluding to the fact that Johnson has served as a federal informant in the past.Ever since Vance was named as Trump’s running mate, many of his unfavorable speeches and stances have come to light, from his views on people without children to his association with the conservative manifesto Project 2025. His polling numbers are underwater, and Republicans think Trump shouldn’t have picked him. These latest revelations aren’t likely to help Vance or the Trump ticket, especially since Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz already has a groundswell of support.
Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance regularly texts infamous far-right troll Charles C. Johnson, a conspiracy theorist and Holocaust denier.
The Washington Post reports that Vance received a text message through the encrypted messaging app Signal from Johnson shortly after being elected to the Senate in 2022, and corresponded with the blogger for 20 months, until just weeks before Donald Trump chose Vance as his running mate.
The texting relationship between Vance and Johnson does not reflect well on the Ohio senator. Vance asked Johnson’s opinion on everything from UFOs to aid to Ukraine to the Republican Party’s relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vance even appeared to accept advice from Johnson, including a suggestion that the senator should work to restrict foreign ownership of housing.
Johnson has promoted doubts about the Holocaust, created and promoted fake news stories about various politicians, and associated with neo-Nazis and white nationalists. But in their correspondence, Vance didn’t appear to be worried about that, instead expressing concern that Johnson was collecting information about him.
“If you are who you say you are then don’t you have my phone tapped?” Vance wrote to Johnson last fall, possibly alluding to the fact that Johnson has served as a federal informant in the past.
Ever since Vance was named as Trump’s running mate, many of his unfavorable speeches and stances have come to light, from his views on people without children to his association with the conservative manifesto Project 2025. His polling numbers are underwater, and Republicans think Trump shouldn’t have picked him. These latest revelations aren’t likely to help Vance or the Trump ticket, especially since Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz already has a groundswell of support.
