Well, I'm sure he's the same sort of person, yes - but when he had less power, the constraints of him needing to be more decent and reasonable to the people around him will have retrained his worst impulses.
Back when Vance started out in politics, people still believed in the Republicans as the Party of Eisenhower rather than the Party of Reagan-Tea Party-Trump. Back when their new hopes for the future were the likes Paul Ryan, Kevin McCarthy, etc.? They've all fled, been driven out, or have caved in to Trumpism. When Vance started out, he too had this idea of the sober, responsible fiscal conservative Republican and his behaviour back then reflects that. He embraced Trumpism for power, and so he is now.