JD Vance, Trump’s running partner, tried to combine politics with laughter by sharing a tribute picture of Miss South Carolina Teen USA, Caitlin” Caite” Upton, in what he hoped would be a smart dig at Kamala Harris. The move, but, blew up in his experience, turning his joke into a big social faux pas.
In a post that screamed “awkward”, Vance posted a picture from Upton’s infamous 2007 show meeting where she struggled with a landscape problem. His message,” BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN meeting”, seemed to reference Upton’s wrongdoing with Harris’s subsequent interview difficulties.
But instead of a laugh, Vance got a coastal flood of reaction. Detractors pounced on the statement, accusing him of being a women-hating monster. One person retorted,” Keep attacking girls. Perhaps more people may show up to cast ballots against you. Another added,” Tell me you hate women without telling me you hate people”.
Upton, who has since moved beyond the show loop to a career in advertisement, opened up about how the clip’s fallout had a black impact on her life. ” I had some very black times where I thought about committing suicide”, she shared sadly. ” It was terrible, and it was every single day for a good two years”.
When called out, Vance’s answer was about awkwardly everyday. ” Look, I’ve said a lot of things on camera, I’ve said a lot of stupid things on camera”, he quipped. ” Often when you’re in the public attention, you make mistakes. And once, I think the best way to deal with it is to grin at ourselves, chuckle at this thing and try to have some fun in politicians”.
Despite the controversy, Vance stuck to his weapons, saying,” I’m not going to regret for posting a prank, but I wish the best for Caitlin. I hope that she’s doing also. And again, what I’d suggest is, one terrible moment really n’t define anyone, and the best way to cope with this things is to grin at ourselves”.
Upton’s last word was a warning that some quips just do n’t get well. ” It’s a shame that 17 years after this is still being brought up”, she said. ” Online bullying and social media must end.”
