Beverly Aikins, Vance's mom, returned to Facebook on Wednesday to celebrate her son's win. Aikins took a break from social media in July to protect her peace of mind after seeing "vitriol and hate" toward her son, including from critics in Vance's hometown of Middletown, where she still lives.

JD Vance is now just a heartbeat from the presidency—and that’s the heart of the oldest man ever elected to the White House.Just eight years ago, Vance was criticizing Donald Trump as a “fraud” and a “moral disaster” and reportedly told a friend he couldn’t decide whether the MAGA mogul was a “cynical a–hole like Nixon” or “America’s Hitler.