JD Vance makes joke attempt that awkwardly bombs with crowd

JD Vance has become the subject of online mockery once again, after a joke he made failed to land with both a live audience and people on social media.

The US Vice President’s stand-up aspirations took a knock, and not because of his comical policies… The 41-year-old second-in-command spoke at the IAFF’s Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., on March 9, where he reaffirmed the Trump administration’s support for firefighters.

Vance's comically bad attempt at comedy

Addressing the crowd, he praised their work, saying there was no group more hardworking or more vital to communities than rescue workers tackling burning material.

Before getting into his main remarks, however, Vance tried to open with a joke. After walking on stage to applause, he greeted the audience and commented on the large turnout. He then paused and said he couldn’t actually see anyone because the stage lights were so bright.

He followed up by joking that whoever set up the lights “must be a Democrat,” adding that although he couldn’t see the crowd, he had been told there were around 700 people there. Embarrassingly, the remark was met with almost complete silence, drawing a faintly audible sympathy chuckle from some of those in attendance.

Social media's unforgiving response

Online, the reaction was far harsher. Many social media users criticized the attempt at humor, with one person writing, “AND THE CROWD GOES MILD,” while another asked what the joke was supposed to be. Others described him as awkward and questioned why he keeps trying to make jokes that don’t seem to work.

Several people mocked the moment using sarcasm, with one saying the spotlights must have been searching for a good joke but couldn’t find one. Another complained that his attempts at humor often fall flat and can be inappropriate.

This isn’t the first time Vance’s jokes have drawn criticism. Just last month, during the inaugural Board of Peace meeting, he tried to poke fun at Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by referencing a moment when she paused while answering a question about Taiwan at the Munich Security Conference.

Vance attempted to imitate the pause by standing silently for about 20 seconds, but the audience responded with little more than silence. Ocasio-Cortez later joked on social media that the crowd’s quiet reaction lasted even longer than her original pause.

Given the repeated awkward moments, some observers online suggested that comedy might not be the best backup career if his political career goes down the drain.

Featured Image. Credit: Caylo Seals / Getty