Outrage erupts over JD Vance’s ‘middle school’ joke: ‘How terribly far we’ve fallen’

Vice President JD Vance sparked a wave of backlash Tuesday after appearing to use being gay as a punchline in a joke about Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico.

Speaking at a campaign event in Tyler, Texas, for Ken Paxton, Vance responded to someone in the crowd who shouted that they loved him.

“I love you too, sir,” Vance said. “In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.”

The remark quickly drew criticism from political observers, who accused Vance of resorting to a homophobic jab against the rising Democratic state representative, who has said he is straight and has a girlfriend.

"The Vice President of the United States... in 2026...Trying to insult a Senate candidate...by implying he is gay,” wrote professor and independent journalist Adam Cochran. “How terribly far we have fallen as a nation.”

MS NOW's Zeeshan Aleem was also unimpressed by the odd attempt at a joke.

“VP says ‘no homo’ and calls a candidate gay as a joke,” he posted on X. “We're in high school, maybe middle school.”

“Trump, Vance & GOP could offer TX voters solutions for the affordability crisis, healthcare, immigration, Epstein accountability & ending the costly/deadly Iran war,” political commentator Andy Ostroy wrote Tuesday. “Or, they can just claim Talarico is gay & obsesses over 'trans kids &drag queens'. The blue tsunami is coming.”

New York Times contributing opinion writer Matthew Yglesias also weighed in.

“Having made inroads with various traditionally blue constituencies in 2024, Republicans have spent the fall telling everyone that they really do hate gay people and all non-white immigrants,” he said in an X post.

“Talarico is straight and has a girlfriend,” Jeopardy! champion Hemant Mehta told his social media followers. “Vance is just an a-----e.”