A controversial post by JD Vance has sparked outrage and drawn widespread attention after it was shared on X (formerly Twitter) on November 29. The post showed Vance photoshopped into the iconic scene from Norman Rockwell’s “Freedom From Want” painting, traditionally depicting a family around the dinner table. In the altered version, Vance is portrayed as the matriarch, serving a Republican electoral map instead of a Thanksgiving turkey, while former President Donald Trump is positioned as the patriarch standing behind him.
The image quickly went viral, drawing sharp backlash from media figures and political commentators. MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan responded directly, calling out Vance’s portrayal. Mehdi Hasan criticized Vance’s post, saying, “JD Vance posting a photo of himself as Trump’s wife, along with a map that overlooks the states they won by some of the narrowest margins in American history,” highlighting the image’s inaccuracies.
Film industry executive Franklin Leonard also weighed in, expressing disbelief at the post. “I’ve seen a lot of embarrassing behavior on this app, but I have never seen anything quite like this,” Leonard tweeted.
The post also caught the attention of Jason Linkins, deputy editor of The New Republic, who had a particularly scathing response. “Some men seem to have a near-obsessive desire to be dominated, and this guy is clearly one of them,” Jason Linkins commented, emphasizing the bizarre and symbolic nature of the image.
Social media reactions to Vance’s post were sharply divided. Many users voiced confusion and disappointment, with one commenter bluntly stating, “There is something deeply wrong with you. Besides, you’re irrelevant anyway. Trump’s already cheating on you.” Others, however, from more conservative corners of the internet, found humor in the post and celebrated it. A popular conservative account, Bad Hombre, called the image “objectively the most hilarious VP we’ve ever had,” while sharing laughter in response to the photo.
Even tech mogul Elon Musk, a known Trump ally, joined the conversation, responding to Vance’s post with a crying-laughing emoji. Musk had attended a Thanksgiving gathering with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Miami, adding an extra layer of celebrity intrigue to the story.
Despite facing significant backlash for its tone and content, the post has garnered applause from certain conservative groups, igniting a broader conversation about the power of political imagery, the impact of celebrity influence, and how social media shapes public narratives. Whether this viral moment will have lasting effects on Vance’s political image remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: it’s ignited a firestorm of conversation across the political spectrum.
