Vice President J.D. Vance embraced internet culture this Halloween, showcasing a meme-inspired costume of himself that has circulated online for a while.
The 41-year-old Republican donned a curly brown wig, a red tie, and a blue blazer, mimicking a comical, exaggerated version of himself that trolls often use. Quite the bold choice for the occasion!
“Happy Halloween. And don’t forget to be grateful!” Vance expressed in an Instagram video, ending the clip with a somewhat eerie spin while the “Twilight Zone” theme played in the background.
He also contributed a close-up selfie, aiming for that “Photoshopped meme” look where his eyes seemed a little wide open, as if capturing the spirit of the image he’s portrayed online.
The phrase “please be sure to say thank you” caught attention, referencing a fairly chaotic Oval Office meeting earlier this year with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Vance, and Trump. During that meeting, Vance had accused Zelenskiy of lacking gratitude for U.S. assistance in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“Currently, you’re going from place to place, forcing people to the front lines due to manpower issues. I think we ought to appreciate the president for attempting to resolve this situation,” Vance remarked, a comment that quickly spread across the internet, spurring a new wave of memes he has been subjected to since a recent debate with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Many of these memes have distorted Vance’s image to present him in silly, child-like, or caveman-like ways, eventually reaching the point where his face appeared grafted onto celebrities’ bodies.
Since the beginning, Vance has leaned into the chaos, frequently sharing edited images on social media, including one that provocatively stated, “Can you hear the screams?”
“The fact that people began crafting these J.D. Vance memes and his reaction was basically to say, ‘Let’s embrace this,’ is easily one of the funniest political moments of the past decade,” a user noted on X.
“Great. It reminded me that being in on the joke, whether in politics or life, often leads to success,” commented Gates McGavik of the Republican National Committee.
However, Vance’s playful approach opened the door to even more memes created by internet trolls in response to his posts.
The Vice President had yet to respond to inquiries about his costume choice.
