DISCLAIMER: This article was first published on August 30, 2024
In a world where a little empathy can go a long way, JD Vance’s recent blunder shows just how out of touch the Republican Party has become. Last night, Vance thought it would be funny to post a meme from a 2007 Miss Teen USA beauty pageant to mock a Harris interview. In the clip, contestant Caitlyn Upton struggled to answer a question. What Vance didn’t know—or maybe didn’t care about—was that Upton later revealed the clip led her to a dark place, where she even considered suicide.
When asked if he knew about Upton’s struggles, Vance admitted he didn’t. But instead of offering a simple apology, he said, “I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke.” That’s right—he doubled down on his thoughtlessness, claiming politics has “gotten way too lame.” Because, clearly, mocking a woman’s mental health struggles is just the kind of comedy the GOP thinks we need.
Twitter didn’t hold back. Shannon Watts pointed out how out of touch Vance is, sarcastically noting, “JD Vance doesn’t understand why we’re all talking about the meme he posted that mocked women’s intelligence instead of the cost of groceries…”
JD Vance doesn’t understand why we’re all talking about the meme he posted that mocked women’s intelligence instead of the cost of groceries… https://t.co/gSUqB99Vv3
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) August 30, 2024
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And in case anyone thought Vance’s non-apology was just a slip of the tongue, Pamela Denise Price wasn’t buying it. She tweeted, “He understands he just doesn’t give a damn. As a suicide survivor for him to not even see her humanity. I’m beyond offended and pissed!!!!”
He understands he just doesn’t give a damn 🤬 As a suicide survivor for him to not even see her humanity. I’m beyond offended and pissed!!!!
— Pamela Denise Price (@PamelaD_Price) August 30, 2024
The responses were spot on. One user, Olivia, didn’t mince words, calling Vance a “sociopath” for refusing to apologize and using the word “lame” in his statement. Others, like Sarah Caswell, saw Vance’s behavior as part of a bigger problem with the GOP’s treatment of women: “These men won’t learn. So we have to all vote and make sure they never get power again.”
oh my god, Shannon. the not apologizing? this man is a sociopath. this is horrifying. also – he used the word lame – and we need to call him out for that.
— Olivia (@thedigitalyenta) August 30, 2024
These men won’t learn. So we have to all vote and make sure they never get power again. What he posted was so offensive to women on so many levels.
— Sarah Caswell (@SarahCaswell9) August 30, 2024
JD Vance’s heartless response is just another reminder of what the Republican Party has become—a group more interested in scoring cheap points than showing any real concern for people’s lives. It’s not just about this one incident; it’s about a pattern of behavior that shows a deep-seated disregard for women and their experiences. The sooner we laugh off Vance and his outdated, offensive “humor,” the better.
And let’s be real—if you can’t bring yourself to apologize when you learn someone nearly ended their life because of the very joke you found so funny, maybe politics isn’t your game. Or maybe, as one Twitter user put it, “JD Vance is not normal.”
A normal person would have just acknowledged the mistake, apologized and pivoted to talking about mental health and their plans to address it. JD Vance is not normal. I hope that shit-eating grin gets wiped off his face come November.
— Ottoman Vance (@OttomanVance) August 30, 2024
Featured image via Screengrab
