On July 15, Trump announced his pick for Vice President at the Republican National Convention — a young Ohio Senator named J.D. Vance. Vance is most well-known for his book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” where he recounts his tumultuous childhood. Vance became a Senator when he won the Ohio seat in 2022. Before his election and support from Trump, Vance was a known critic of Trump, even calling him “America’s Hitler.”
While on the campaign trail for his Senate seat, Vance quickly changed his opinion on Trump and eventually gained his endorsement for the race. Vance identifies with populist conservative beliefs and has frequently gotten himself involved in culture wars ranging from gender-affirming care for minors to abortion.
While campaigning in 2022, Vance gave a speech about divorce, a topic he has frequently spoken about. In this speech, Vance stated that Americans need to stay in unhappy marriages, possibly even violent ones, for the sake of their children.
“This is one of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace, which is the idea that like, well, OK, these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy.” said Vance. “And so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term.”
Vance himself talks about his history with domestic violence, both in his memoir and in comments to critics of his controversial take on divorce. In his book, Vance frequently spoke about his grandparents, who were in a highly violent marriage — one that almost ended in murder. He also speaks frequently about his abusive mother, whose actions eventually led him to live with his grandparents. Vance views his grandparents’ relationships as a model; they stayed together for decades, even during times of violence and hatred.
Vance believes that an increase in divorce since the 1960s has broken America by hurting families and scarring children. Vance argues that increased divorces have led to a rise in domestic violence and have negatively affected the lives of children. Vance proposed that federal policies should incentivize married people to stay together to prevent further attacks on families.
Vance’s views on divorce fail to take into account the lives of women in marriages and how divorce can often be life-saving — both for women and their children.
After the 1960s, the rate of divorces increased due to a shift in their social perception and laws that allowed for no-fault divorce. However, since divorce rates peaked in the 1980s, they have gradually declined. Between 2000 and 2022, divorce rates have decreased from 4 divorces per 1000 to just 2.4 divorces per 1000.
Rates of domestic violence have also decreased, especially since the Violence Against Women Act was passed in the 1990s. Between 1994 and 2011, annual rates of severe intimate partner violence dropped 72%. While domestic violence remains a huge issue that disproportionally affects women, these statistics show that divorces are not the root of all of America’s problems. Divorces are not leading to an increase in domestic violence in America, unlike what Vance seems to imply.
By suggesting that a federal law should encourage women to stay in unhappy or abusive marriages, Vance is putting women and children at risk. While domestic violence rates have decreased, women remain at risk. Over half of all female homicide victims are killed by a current or former male intimate partner. For women in abusive marriages, they can either escape through divorce or face the threat of violence at the hands of their partner. 23.5% of divorces are cited as having been caused in large part due to domestic violence. Divorce, rather than causing domestic violence, is a way for victims to escape with their lives.
Vance also posits that children should be raised by two parents, even if they are in an unhappy or abusive marriage. Studies by multiple US government agencies show that the opposite is true. Children raised in violent homes often face severe mental and physical problems that last into adulthood. Children in abusive homes are frequently later diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and even conditions like heart disease and diabetes at a much higher rate than children raised in safe and stable homes.
Children raised in abusive homes are also more likely to continue the cycle of abuse. Men raised in homes where their fathers abuse their wives are ten times more likely to perpetrate abuse. Women raised in similar situations are six times more likely to be sexually abused. Studies and experts agree that it is much more beneficial for a child to be raised in a safe and stable home, regardless of if both parents are present.
Outside of just blaming divorce as the root of some of America’s problems, Vance also blames the “childless left” as a significant problem. Vance argues that Democratic politicians like AOC and Corey Booker have no stake in America’s future because they have no children and that they are not qualified to legislate for this reason.
Vance even proposed that to rectify the lack of couples having children, children should be given votes in federal elections, but their parents would control those votes. This would make sure non-parents had less of a voice in American politics.
Again, Vance fails to recognize the effect of his proposed policies on women. Birth in America can be dangerous and expensive, not to mention the lack of support families have when raising children. On average, childbirth costs $18,865, or about $2,000 after insurance. Childcare averages around $1,200 a month, a massive burden on families without relatives to care for their young children. Many families cannot afford to take time off to care for their children due to a lack of policies that support families in the United States.
A decrease in birth rates and families choosing not to have children is not a symptom of “woke leftism,” but rather a total lack of governmental support for women and families across the United States.
J.D. Vance’s policy proposals and beliefs aim to help children. However, they end up taking a considerable toll on the lives of women and the health of children for the benefit of “family values” and the social perception of marriages and families.