In this episode of Fresh Air, Tonya Mosley interviews George Packer from The Atlantic about his article "The Talented Mr. Vance," a profile of Vice President JD Vance. Packer discusses Vance's transformation from a thoughtful author in "Hillbilly Elegy" to a politician known for inflammatory rhetoric. They explore Vance's background, his time in the military, his education at Yale Law School, and his relationship with Peter Thiel, examining the moral and emotional costs of his class mobility and political evolution. Packer analyzes Vance's shift in political views, his conversion to Catholicism, and his alignment with Donald Trump, questioning the authenticity of his loyalty to the working class versus his political ambitions. The conversation also touches on the role of Vance's wife, Usha, in navigating and mitigating his controversial statements. Finally, David Bianculli reviews "Mountainhead", a new HBO movie.
