Sofia Nelson, a former Yale Law School classmate of JD Vance, accused him of trying to "hijack" the MAGA movement to promote a more extreme conservative ideology.
Newsweek reported that Nelson claims that Vance is using Trump's popularity to advance post-liberalism, a conservative movement that seeks to reshape American politics into a more authoritarian, theocratic system.
In an op-ed published Saturday, Nelson, a lawyer and former friend of Vance, described post-liberalism as a movement deeply influenced by conservative Catholic social teachings.
The ideology aims to overhaul existing social and political systems, with a focus on creating a society aligned with religious values.
According to Nelson, post-liberalism goes far beyond Trump’s MAGA movement, despite some policy overlaps such as opposition to immigration and transgender rights. In essence, its a swing to the right aided by the radical leftists that have been in power for the past four years.
Nelson and Vance were once close, having formed a friendship at Yale Law School.
However, their relationship soured over Vance’s evolving political beliefs. Nelson, who is transgender, cites Vance’s support for banning gender-affirming care for minors as a turning point. She expressed her dismay at his shift, particularly his advocacy for policies she finds damaging to marginalized groups.
Nelson argues that Vance’s embrace of post-liberalism stems from his ambition for power and influence. She points to his connections with prominent figures in the post-liberal movement, including Patrick Deneen, Sohrab Ahmari, Adrian Vermeule, and Rod Dreher, who have all advocated for a more authoritarian, religious-based approach to governance.
In her op-ed, Nelson emphasized that while post-liberalism shares some ideological ground with MAGA, it is far more extreme and authoritarian in its aims.
Unlike Trump’s movement, which is rooted in populist rhetoric, Nelson contends that post-liberalism seeks to dismantle the separation of church and state and impose a theocratic political order.
"Post-liberalism, unlike MAGA, has no grassroots following," Nelson said. "Most Americans aren't Catholic, and most Catholics support the separation of church and state. But post-liberalism, despite its ideological and moral disdain for Trump, needs MAGA."
Nelson further explained that post-liberalists like Vance hope to leverage Trump’s political base to push the Republican Party toward a more theocratic vision. She believes that this agenda diverges significantly from the mainstream MAGA platform, which has generally focused on economic populism and nationalism rather than religious authoritarianism.
Nelson’s criticisms come at a time when Vance’s political trajectory has drawn increased scrutiny.
Once a vocal critic of Trump, Vance famously referred to him as "America’s Hitler" in 2016. However, by 2021, Vance’s views had undergone a dramatic shift, leading to a meeting with Trump and a subsequent alignment with the former president's policies.
The New York Times reported in July that emails and text messages between Vance and Nelson exchanged from 2014 to 2017, revealed a significant gap between his private and public positions. In one exchange, Vance expressed disdain for law enforcement, saying, "I hate the police." This contrasted with his later public support for law-and-order policies.
Nelson's warning comes amid broader debates within the Republican Party about the future direction of conservative ideology. While Vance’s views seem to align with post-liberal thinkers, Trump himself has distanced his campaign from these more radical elements.
During a debate on Tuesday, Trump denied any connection to Project 2025, a policy agenda that shares similarities with his platform, Agenda 47.
"I haven’t read it. I don’t want to read it, purposely. I’m not going to read it," Trump said during the debate, reiterating his disinterest in the document.
In response to Nelson’s op-ed and the release of private messages, Vance’s spokesperson, Luke Schroeder, defended the senator’s record. Schroeder expressed disappointment over Nelson’s decision to leak decade-old communications between the two but noted that Vance still cares for Nelson.
"It is unfortunate this individual chose to leak decade-old private conversations between friends to The New York Times," Schroeder said. "Senator Vance cares for Sofia and wishes Sofia the very best."
Despite the concerns raised by Nelson, the post-liberal movement has yet to gain significant traction within the Republican Party. Nelson asserts that the movement lacks the grassroots appeal needed to compete with the broader MAGA base, but she warns that figures like Vance will continue to use Trump’s popularity to advance their agenda.
"What I do know is that Vance used to condemn Trump's racism and be empathetic to how such rhetoric made Americans feel unwelcome in their own country," Nelson said, reflecting on Vance's past political positions.
Nelson simply never evolved as Vance has as evidenced by Vance's journey from a Never-Trump centrist to a conservative who understands the importance of Trump's mission.
