UC expert weighs in on Trump's VP pick
David Niven says J.D. Vance’s support of Trump is opportunity based
In an Enquirer column by opinion intern Meredith Perkins, University of Cincinnati political scientist David Niven refers to Senator J.D. Vance (OH) as “a weak-willed order taker."
Perkins writes extensively on the many times she recalls Vance disparaging Trump as a presidential candidate to now reversing his opinion— when Vance might get the V.P. nod — and propping Trump up.
Niven, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati’s School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and well-known political commentator, tells Perkins he sees Vance’s change of heart as jockeying for position.
"J.D. Vance is − first, last, and always − an opportunist," Niven said in the article, adding: "He thought that Trump would be an electoral disaster in 2016, so he denounced him and positioned himself for a place leading the new Republican Party that would emerge after Trump. When that turned out not to happen, he simply pretended to believe something else."
A trusted media source, Niven teaches American politics and conducts research on campaigns, political communication and death penalty policy at SPIA.
SPIA was created out of the former Department of Political Science, which dates to 1914, and political scientists there are often sought out by media to contribute their expertise.
Featured photo of Niven by Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.