In a surprising turn of events, former GOP lawyer Sophia Nelson has called J.D. Vance’s recent visit to a donut shop an example of “awkward darkness.” Vance, who is Donald Trump’s choice for vice president, seems to keep finding himself in embarrassing situations. Nelson’s comment highlights just how uncomfortable his public moments have been. Some might even say that calling it “awkward darkness” is putting it lightly. Vance’s missteps could be one of the biggest understatements of the year.
JD Vance order a donut challenge: (Level impossible) pic.twitter.com/TxnP9P9gjX
— Philip Germain (@PhilipJGermain) August 22, 2024
Leon Skum commented saying, “I have truly never heard anyone order a ‘whatever works’ donut. Is that like a Buddhist hotdog?”
I have truly never heard anyone order a “whatever works” donut. Is that like a Buddhist hotdog?
— Leon Skum (@LeonSkumMars) August 23, 2024
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The Blue Prophet added, “We selected this place??? How long have you been working here? He seems so clueless and uncomfortable talking to real working-class Americans.”
We selected this place ??? How long you’ve been working here ? He is so clueless, and you can tell he is uncomfortable speaking to the real Middle class.working-class Americans
— The Blue Prophet 🇺🇸 (@zadok50) August 22, 2024
Nelson, a legal expert who often advises Republicans, recently spoke on CNN about Vance’s visit to a donut shop. He noticed something odd about Vance’s behavior. Vance seemed tense and awkward, like he wasn’t sure if he was in a donut shop or a courtroom. Where was the charm? Did he leave it in the car? Instead of connecting warmly, he seemed distant, which made Nelson wonder if donuts just aren’t his thing.
Nelson compared Vance’s awkwardness to Vice President Kamala Harris, who always seems to bring the sunshine wherever she goes. In a clip of Harris, people greeted her with smiles and warmth. Nelson joked that Vance’s visit could’ve used a bit more warmth and a lot less awkwardness—maybe he should’ve brought more donuts to sweeten the mood!
According to Nelson,
“The energy was entirely different. To my point, J.D. Vance has this kind of awkward darkness about him,” she added. “This kind of like roughness. It’s not a warm energy, it’s like when you saw the dog at the firehouse, when Vice President Harris walked in into dog’s just laying down and rolling around all over her. Animals have good instincts and people have good instincts.”
One Twitter user posted a clip of Governor Tim Walz walking into a fast-food shop with beaming faces all around, showing a stark contrast to JD Vance’s donut shop fiasco.
Look at the beaming faces here as Gov Tim Walz walks into this fast-food shop. Couldn’t be more of a stark contrast to JD Vance’s donut shop fiasco. Spot the difference? One is human, the other is just pretending to be one. pic.twitter.com/cemY3CSUin
— Candid Flâneur (@alexzafer) August 25, 2024
But it’s not just Vance’s behavior at the donut shop that’s catching attention. His whole political style seems to be modeled after Trump’s more uncomfortable moments. This “awkward darkness” might be the new trend in the GOP, where being charming and relatable isn’t as important as strange stunts and awkward public interactions. It’s leaving many people confused.
As we watch the GOP choose people who seem to struggle with basic charm—like picking a donut shop for their public events—it’s clear they’re missing the point. Maybe next time they’ll try something different to avoid more awkward moments. In politics, a little charm goes a long way, and it seems to be missing from Trump’s choices. So, let’s hope Vance’s next public appearance has more charm or, at least, a good PR team that can turn those awkward donut shop moments into something more pleasant. After all, if they don’t step up their game, they might just end up being a footnote in political history.
Featured image via Screengrab
