VANCE NOT ALWAYS WITH TRUMP — Former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), has taken a more aggressive anti-abortion stance than Trump, who enlisted him despite his attempts to neutralize the issue. The first-term senator, 39, has a limited voting record in the chamber and doesn’t serve on its major health care committees. But he has split with Trump’s new leave-it-to-the-states position in the past. He’s described himself as “pro-life as anyone,” and during a 2022 Senate race debate, said he’d support a federal standard restricting abortion. He opposed abortion exceptions for rape and incest in his 2022 campaign. Both positions run counter to Trump, who has said states should determine abortion policy and backs rape and incest exceptions. A shift: Earlier this month, Vance said Trump was a “pragmatic leader” for his position on leaving the issue to the states. In 2022, he said he backs “reasonable” exceptions to abortion bans. The “Hillbilly Elegy” author has turned from a Trump skeptic — comparing him to an opioid in 2016 — to an ardent Trump supporter. Dems’ approach: Democrats and President Joe Biden’s campaign have used abortion as a potent political issue since the Dobbs decision sending abortion rights back to the states and quickly jumped on Vance’s record after Trump drafted him Monday. “This is someone who supports banning abortion nationwide while criticizing exceptions for rape and incest survivors; railed against the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for millions with preexisting conditions,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said in a statement Monday. The Trump-Vance ticket isn’t likely to make health care a major campaign issue, given Democrats’ polling advantage on it, but here’s more on Vance’s record: Public health: Vance has voiced frustration with the CDC’s response to a major train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and has hammered the agency’s director, Dr. Mandy Cohen, for spreading Covid-19 vaccine and mask “misinformation.” Gender-affirming care: He introduced legislation that would make it a crime for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to minors and also prohibit taxpayer funding for the care. Opioids: Vance founded a charity in 2016 to help address the opioid crisis, but The Associated Press reported in 2022 that the nonprofit’s “most notable accomplishment” was sending an addiction treatment specialist to Ohio for residency. That was “tainted” by the doctor’s ties to Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, AP reported. Vance's campaign said it wasn’t aware of the ties but “remains proud of [the doctor’s] work to treat patients.” Drug pricing: In 2022, Vance said he supports allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a major Biden administration accomplishment. Investments: A review of Vance’s investments suggests he’s bullish on new care models and artificial intelligence despite the GOP platform’s pledge to repeal Biden’s AI executive order. WELCOME TO TUESDAY PULSE. POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt has the backstory on how Trump picked Vance. Send your tips, scoops and feedback to bleonard@politico.com and ccirruzzo@politico.com and follow along @_BenLeonard_ and @ChelseaCirruzzo.
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