It’s amazing how much Yale Law can flip-flop on what it means to “congratulate” someone. Back in 2016, they didn’t hesitate to throw a congratulatory message to Hillary Clinton after her historic Democratic nomination. Fast forward eight years, and they can’t even manage a simple nod to J.D. Vance after his actual election to the vice presidency. You’d think after helping shape his career, they’d at least throw him a bone, but nope.
Instead, Yale Law’s response to Vance’s big win? Crickets. When asked why they’re staying mum, their chief of staff, Debra Kroszner, claimed that the school has a new policy against issuing public congratulatory statements. Conveniently, she didn’t explain how this policy magically doesn’t apply to the other alumni they’ve lauded in the past week. They’ll save Vance’s acknowledgment for their alumni magazine, which only comes out twice a year. Cool, I guess.
Vance, of course, has an interesting history with Yale. He’s the guy who, growing up with a heroin-addicted mother, wrote the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”—inspired by a paper he wrote at Yale Law. He met his wife there and even got venture capitalist Peter Thiel to fund his Senate run. Yet, the school and Vance have had a “complicated” relationship, especially after Vance started speaking out about the school’s elitist culture.
It’s not just Vance—it’s Yale’s whole vibe when it comes to conservative alumni. Yale will happily throw a bone at right-wing judges when it benefits them. But when it’s people like Brett Kavanaugh or Clarence Thomas, suddenly, the praise dries up. Yale’s pick-and-choose admiration is in full swing, handing out kudos only when it fits their narrative. They’ll cheer anyone who aligns with their agenda, but the second someone doesn’t play ball? Silence. Just crickets.
Classic Yale—promoting diversity of thought… unless that thought’s actually conservative. Oh, and let’s not forget their massive reluctance to hang a portrait of Vance despite the fact that, you know, he’s about to become one of the youngest vice presidents in U.S. history.
The Yale Law Republicans are calling for the school to honor Vance with a portrait, and at this point, it feels like they might be waiting until 2040 to get that acknowledgment.