The last vice president with a mustache was Charles Curtis in 1933, while the last one with a beard as substantial as Vance’s was Charles Fairbanks, who served under Teddy Roosevelt from 1905 to 1909.
Vance, 39, is the first millennial to be part of a major-party ticket and has become one of Trump’s most fervent supporters, particularly in the areas of trade, foreign policy, and immigration. He gained national attention with the publication of his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” in 2016 and was elected to the Senate in 2022.
Despite rumors that Vance’s beard could have cost him the vice presidential nomination, Trump dismissed the speculation, telling Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade that the beard was fashionable on his running mate.
“He looks good,” Trump said. “Looks like a young Abraham Lincoln.”
Research suggests that voters associate facial hair with personality traits that politicians typically want to avoid, such as aggressiveness, traditionalism, and anti-feminism.
A 2015 survey by Oklahoma State University found that voters perceive men with beards and mustaches as being opposed to reproductive choice and “more supportive of gun rights, military spending, and the deployment of force” – characteristics that align with Vance’s political stance.