“I had a diet Mountain Dew yesterday and one today and I’m sure they’re going to call that racist, too,” the Republican vice presidential nominee said at a rally on July 22
The internet is weighing in on an awkward joke made by Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance, during a Monday campaign rally.
Vance made the remarks while speaking about voter ID laws, saying, “It is the weirdest thing to me. Democrats say that it is racist to believe… Well, they say it’s racist to do anything.”
“I had a diet Mountain Dew yesterday and one today and I’m sure they’re going to call that racist, too,” he added. “But, it’s good.”
At that point, one person in the audience could be heard clapping, as Vance laughed at his own joke and said, “I love you guys.”
Social media users were quick to weigh in, with many saying the moment was “awkward.”
Even some of Vance’s colleagues offered their takes, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Vance’s stump has got a nice Jeb Bush quality to it. And I mean that in the worst way possible.”
As Ocasio-Cortez and others on X noted, the Vance joke had echoes of a similar viral moment from 2016, when then-Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush prompted the audience at a New Hampshire campaign event to clap for him after a punchline failed to deliver any applause.
The moment was also seized on by the Kamala Harris campaign, which shared footage of Vance’s joke without any commentary, leaving other social media users to weigh in.
“Bro is trying so hard,” wrote one X user. Others wrote that Vance was “cringe” or “boring.”
Others took issue with the type of soda Vance — who shot to fame with his controversial memoir about growing up in Appalachia — claimed to be drinking.
“If JD Vance would have simply said ‘Mountain Dew’ it would’ve been fine, relatable even. That’s a regular Joe blue collar soda. What kind of sick freak drinks diet Mountain Dew. Alienated every voter base with one line,” wrote another X user.
Trump announced he had chosen Vance, an Ohio senator, in a post shared to Truth Social during the roll call vote of the Republican National Convention last week.
“After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance,” Trump posted.
Source people.com
