In an unusual move during her network segment on Thursday, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow made claims linking Sen. J.D. Vance’s company name to a goofy conspiracy theory about its possible white supremacist connotations. The host suggested that the name of Vance’s firm, Narya, is really an encoded version of “Aryan,” with the first letter moved forward in the alphabet.
Maddow went on to argue that this naming style was reminiscent of billionaire Peter Thiel, a mentor and past employer of Vance who also named his companies after figures from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. While Maddow acknowledged that there is no direct evidence linking Vance to white supremacist ideology, her suggestion was met with strong criticism for its irresponsible nature.
Earlier in the week, Sen. Vance had sent a memo to supporters detailing what they could expect from him after he was named as former President Donald Trump’s running mate. In this message, Vance expressed his enthusiasm and commitment to working with Trump in order to “Make America Great Again.
During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Vance recalled how Trump asked him to be his running mate during a conversation on Monday night. Vance is a well-known author, having penned the New York Times bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, and is also a former Marine, a Yale Law School graduate, and a recently elected member of the U.S. Senate in 2022.
In his conversation with Hannity, Vance emphasized Trump’s dedication to preserving American law and order while accusing President Joe Biden of trying to undermine both. This comes as Special Counsel Jack Smith, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland, continues to pursue an indictment against Trump related to the handling of classified documents. Despite a Florida judge dismissing the case earlier this week, it remains under appeal to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Vance expressed his belief that Trump’s actions in this matter were positive and should be commended, suggesting that acknowledging one’s mistakes is an important aspect of political discourse. However, Maddow’s conspiracy theory regarding Vance’s company name has raised questions about the motivations behind such claims and whether they contribute to a healthy public dialogue.
