What to Know
In an apparent attempt to seem relatable, Vice President JD Vance made a joke on stage at a recent event. But based on people’s reactions, it didn’t land in the way he had probably hoped. In fact, a lot of people online have no idea what he was actually going for.
On multiple occasions, Vance’s efforts to come across as relatable, funny, and “cool” have gone viral on social media. At this point, people are a little embarrassed for him. However, he doesn’t seem too impacted by people’s comments (and memes) about him, given that he recently asserted that he believes he’s the coolest VP in U.S. history. OK.
Vance was speaking at an International Association of Firefighters Conference.
While at the event, Vance spoke about how the Trump administration plans to continue to support firefighters. When introducing Vance, General President Edward Kelly said, “Occupational cancer is now recognized as a line-of-duty death. And federal death and education benefits are given to the families of our fallen because of the Trump-Vance administration’s steadfast support,” per IAFF.
Vance also emphasized that “there is no group of people that is harder working and more important for our communities than our firefighters.”
But he also made a cringeworthy joke that people don’t even understand.
…. what ? https://t.co/9hd1mMie8S
— Erin "Skeleton Factory" Ryan (@morninggloria) March 9, 2026
Vance’s joke was about the bright lighting at the event. A clip of what he said has been circulating on social media, and people are…confused?
“It’s great to be here,” Vance said. “It’s great to have you in our nation’s capital. I always say to everybody…This is a very big group. I can’t see any of you because these spotlights are glaring bright. The person who runs these spotlights must be a Democrat because I cannot see a single person in that crowd.”
And a lot of people online had the same reaction: “…. what ?” and “So exactly what is the joke supposed to be?” Some people genuinely asked others to explain Vance’s joke to them, to which people replied, “The joke is the guy standing behind the podium.” Ouch.
People had a lot to say about how unfunny it was.
Several people noticed that Vance’s joke didn’t even seem particularly popular at the event, where people probably felt obligated to laugh politely. “AND THE CROWD GOES MILD,” one critic wrote. Others called him “so awkward” and noted that he might be the “least charismatic person of all time.”
Questionable sense of humor aside, people were also disgusted by the fact that he felt compelled to criticize Democrats at this event. “We have never had an administration that deliberately and maliciously causes such division based on preferred party,” another critic commented. “It’s obnoxious and pathetic.”
But hey, at least Vance seems to think he’s funny? “He’s so bloody arrogant,” someone else wrote. “He always thinks he’s funny. Begging for a laugh.”
You might remember another one of Vance’s jokes that went viral.
Vance: “Today I'm in the Oval Office with the President and Marco Rubio, and we're talking about something really important…He peers over the resolute desk and he says, Marco, JD, you guys have shitty shoes…The President leans back in his chair and says, you know you can tell… pic.twitter.com/Q1MYlN9xp4
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) December 6, 2025
Back in December, Vance told a cringeworthy story about what it’s really like to be the vice president. Though he did say it’s mostly exactly what you would expect, he also added that, at times, “you get these behind-the-scenes moments that I will never, ever forget for the rest of my life.”
He then proceeded to tell a story about how he was having an important conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio when President Donald Trump suddenly told them that they needed new shoes. Trump apparently started shopping at that very moment and asked the men in the room for their shoe sizes. Vance said he wears a size 13, while another unnamed politician wears a size 7.
Vance said, “The president, he kind of leans back in his chair and says, ‘You know, you can tell a lot about a man by his shoe size.'” Then, Vance made a joke that people wish they could unhear: “We won’t ask the second lady for comment on that particular topic.”
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