Kamala Harris didn’t hesitate when it came to calling out Vice President JD Vance in her new memoir, 107 Days. She took aim at Vance’s behavior with just two sharp words: “shape-shifter.”
The former vice president clarified that she wasn’t referring to any wild internet conspiracy, the kind that once claimed Justin Bieber was seen morphing into a reptilian creature. Harris meant something else entirely. “JD Vance is a shape-shifter. And a shifty guy,” Harris wrote, as quoted by USA Today.
Harris’ point of calling Vance a ‘shape shifter’ is based on the fact that the Vice President has shown how easily he can change himself depending on the situation he is in. She compared this trait to “that one mean kid in class who was the sweetest to the teacher and other adults, but a total nightmare to fellow classmates.”
Harris is clear in what she is implying: Vance is skilled at changing personalities depending on his audience. This talent may have served him well, but it has also raised questions about his genuine beliefs.
The accusation lands even harder when considering Vance’s political journey. He was once a vocal Trump critic. Ron Howard, director of the Hillbilly Elegy film adaptation, observed that Vance “didn’t care for Trump” when they worked together, according to Variety.
The article revisits Vance’s 2016 social media post about Trump, “My g– what an i—-”, a public statement on what was then called Twitter. The post has since vanished, but the sentiment marked a clear divide between Vance and President Trump at that time.
Over the years, however, Vance’s stance dramatically shifted. Once a harsh opponent, he now serves as President Trump’s right-hand man. Something, it seems, changed. The article speculates whether Vance transformed his outlook for strategic purposes or has mastered compartmentalizing personal feelings to further his own ambitions. The answer remains unknown, reinforcing the label of “shape-shifter” that Harris used.
Moreover, speculation about Vance’s loyalties continues to swirl in Washington. A controversial June 2025 meeting between Vance and media mogul Rupert Murdoch drew attention and what happened next was even more shocking.
Soon after that secret gathering, the Wall Street Journal, owned by Murdoch, published a bombshell: an article claiming President Trump had once sent Jeffrey Epstein a birthday note that ended, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Trump later denied penning the note or its accompanying sketch to the Wall Street Journal.
Commentary from anti-Trump groups further fueled the fire. In August 2025, The Lincoln Project posted on X, suggesting Vance was “warming up in the wings, waiting for his moment. He seems to think Donald won’t hang on much longer.” The notion that Vance might be preparing for a future without Trump is gaining traction among political observers.
Vance’s reputation for adaptability predates his tenure as vice president. Back in October 2024, political commentator Tim Miller remarked on social media, “Gotta admit JD’s ability to code switch from a sociopathic — who is ambivalent to human suffering on MAGA bro podcasts to a guy who credibly seems like he doesn’t want other people to die on the debate stage is a useful political skill that he has deployed with effect.”
Therefore, it’s clear that Harris, for her part, is far from the only voice calling attention to Vance’s shifting allegiances. Her two-word label is very specific and shows how no one can probably predict which shape Vance would take next and where his next allegiance lies.
