Hollywood elites continue to struggle with the success of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, a populist ticket that won in 2024 despite relentless attacks from the media and entertainment industry.

In a Wednesday interview with Vulture, filmmaker Ron Howard revealed that he had texted Vance shortly after the 2024 election results were finalized:

“I did one text, after the election, which was just sort of ‘Godspeed. Try to serve us well.’”

Howard famously directed Hillbilly Elegy, the 2020 film based on Vance’s bestselling memoir about his difficult upbringing. While the movie introduced many Americans to Vance’s life story, Howard admitted he did not foresee his political trajectory.

Speaking to Deadline in September 2024, Howard said:

“Well, we didn’t talk a lot of politics when we were making the movie because I was interested in his upbringing and that survival tale. That’s what we mostly focused on. However, based on the conversations that we had during that time, I just have to say I’m very surprised and disappointed by much of the rhetoric that I’m reading and hearing.”

When pressed by Vulture on whether he could “reconcile” the Vance depicted in the movie with the man now serving as Vice President, Howard conceded:

“Am I able to reconcile? Well, it’s happened, so I know what I’ve observed. It remains a bit of a surprise to me. I would not have seen it coming, and I wouldn’t have expected his rhetoric to be as divisive as it sometimes is. By the way, I’m not following him or listening to every word.”

For Howard, whose political leanings align with the Hollywood Left, Vance’s unapologetic defense of conservative values seems to clash with the “survival story” he once portrayed on screen.

But for millions of Americans, Vance’s journey from a working-class childhood in Ohio to U.S. Marine, Yale Law graduate, bestselling author, venture capitalist, U.S. Senator, and now Vice President represents the American Dream itself.

Vance was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022 and quickly established himself as one of the strongest allies of President Trump’s “America First” agenda. By July 2024, Trump tapped him as his running mate, solidifying a ticket that energized working-class voters across the nation.

On July 16, 2024, Vance expressed his gratitude in a post on X:

“Just overwhelmed with gratitude. What an honor it is to run alongside President Donald J. Trump. He delivered peace and prosperity once, and with your help, he’ll do it again. Onward to victory!”

Despite Hollywood’s predictable disappointment, Vance’s political success reflects the very story Howard once put to film: resilience, grit, and loyalty to the people who raised him.