‘There’s two sides’: Paternal grandma shares her take on J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy

LOVELAND, Ohio — Amid nearly 100 guests adorning red elephant skirts, sequined "Trump" clutches and bedazzled patriotic hats, one attendee at the Northeast Republican Women's Club luncheon on Tuesday stood out among the crowd, not for her outfit but for her famous family member. Vance — Donald Trump's vice presidential running mate — listened in on the meeting in Loveland, Ohio, as a "special guest" of a club member, welcomed with applause from the group. Shepherd spoke with Raw Story in an exclusive interview about her relationship with her grandson and what she wants the world to know about her family's side of Vance's 2016 bestseller, "Hillbilly Elegy," which focuses mostly on Vance's maternal side of the family as he was primarily raised by his "Papaw" and "Mamaw" as his mother dealt with addiction. Shepherd said Vance also has "brothers and sisters on that side of the family that he's real close with," but ultimately, Vance "wasn't really in my life that much." Shepherd said she is not actively helping Vance campaign for vice president with Trump, but she "absolutely" supports her grandson's politics, particularly his opposition to abortion.