Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) has been making headlines for his “rocky rollout” since being named former President Donald Trump’s running mate last month. The bad headlines and poll numbers have been driven by Vance’s extreme comments about “childless cat ladies,” abortion, and more. Well, along with extreme comments, Vance has some extreme investments.
Vance has had a six-figure stake in Rumble, an online video platform. The company has played host to Russian propaganda and to far-right personalities like Stew Peters and Tim Pool. It has also featured even more extreme content, including explicitly neo-Nazi images and themes like this song touting the “Reich” and calling for Jews to be placed in ovens from a “dissident rapper” with a dedicated page on the site. The site features a plethora of channels and videos dedicated to the concept of “white genocide,” which is a core belief for white supremacists. It also hosts channels for explicitly white supremacist organizations including VDare and Patriot Front, which has led masked demonstrations around the country.
A former Marine, Vance was elected in 2022 after a career as a bestselling author and venture capitalist. In both the financial world and as he rose in politics, Vance has been backed by the Silicon Valley investor and right-wing donor Peter Thiel. The pair co-founded a firm, Narya Capital, in 2020. In keeping with Thiel’s preferred styling, the company was named after a reference to the “Lord of the Rings” fantasy novels.
In 2021, Narya Capital made a major investment in Rumble. The investment, which made Narya one of Rumble’s top shareholders, also gave the firm a seat on Rumble’s board. Financial disclosures filed by Vance in conjunction with his Senate bid also show that he made a personal investment in Rumble that was valued between $100,000 and $250,000.
Rumble went public in 2022 following Narya’s investment. In a filing last year that was reported by CNBC, Narya indicated it planned to sell more than three million shares of Rumble. Narya’s initial investment in Rumble totaled over seven million shares.
Vance has not yet filed required financial disclosures for last year. He sought an extension in April. His most recent disclosure, which covered 2022, showed the Rumble investment.
The stake is notable because it represents a direct financial link between Vance and a key outlet for some of the most extreme elements of the far right. Vance’s stake in Rumble was the subject of a New York Times piece during his Senate race in 2022. That story focused on Rumble hosting the Kremlin-backed propaganda network RT, but gave less attention to the extensive hate speech on the site.
A spokesperson for Rumble did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story. A company representative responded to the prior Times story by saying the company is willing to host those who “hold politically unpopular views, so long as they comply with our content policies,” framing the issue as a matter of free speech. A spokesperson for Vance’s campaign told the paper “J.D. does not play an active role at Rumble, nor does he set Rumble’s content moderation policies” and noted his belief in “free speech rights online.”
Vance isn’t the only figure in Trumpworld who has financial ties to Rumble. Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, signed a seven-figure podcast deal with the company last year. Trump Jr. reportedly played a “pivotal role” in persuading his father to bring Vance onto the Republican presidential ticket. Trump Jr. did not respond to questions about the extremist content on Rumble and about whether his financial relationships influenced his support for Vance.
Representatives for Vance and the Trump campaign also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The campaign of Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was more forthcoming. Harris 2024 spokesperson Joseph Costello issued a statement to TPM decrying Vance’s links to the extremist content on Rumble.
“The American people deserve a president who works to bring people together and who gives hate no safe harbor,” Costello said. “Every day the words and actions of Donald Trump and JD Vance prove they belong nowhere near the White House.”
While the bad headlines have seemingly led Vance’s political stock to drop among some Republicans, shares in Rumble have fared far better. According to CNBC Pro, Rumble stock went up 17 percent on the week Trump picked Vance. The movement prompted a note from JP Morgan analyst Kamal Tamboli, who said the surge was a “quarterly record” for the extremist platform.
“Retail traders appear to be closely following US election developments,” Tamboli wrote.
The stock has dropped a bit from its recent high, which came on the day Trump picked Vance. However, it is still up 21 cents from where it was before the pick. The Ohio senator may be a drag on the Trump ticket, but someone out there enjoyed a bit of Vancementum!
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This story was updated to include the prior statement from Vance’s Senate campaign.
Well of course he is. Tolkien would be furious to find hinovels used to name far reich entities after his son fought in WW II.
Ho hum, more fascism from the MAGgots.
Hillbilly Nazi?? Well knock me over with a feather!!
Actually, “faux hillbilly” from what is coming out these days. The extremist part looks to be right on target, though.
Trump’s albatross, we hope.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!
Another day that Harris owns the message and Trump and ‘Couch Potato’ Vance struggle to put out the fires.
We Are Not going Back!