Vice-President JD Vance made a splash this Halloween by leaning into his own internet meme. He posted a video wearing a curly brown wig, a blue blazer and a red tie—the exact look featured in the “babyface Vance” meme that has circulated online in recent months.
In the clip, he opened the door for trick-or-treaters and said:
“Happy Halloween, kids… remember, say thank you!”
He then spun around to the “Twilight Zone” theme-music soundtrack.
The meme mocked Vance’s appearance and the now-famous February meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Vance told him he should show more gratitude to the U.S. That quote — “You should be thanking the president” — became the basis of the mocking image edits.
The social-media response was immediate and massive. The post reportedly logged 14 million+ views and hundreds of thousands of likes within hours.
Some political observers view the move as savvy—by embracing the joke, Vance reduced its potency and took control of the narrative. Others saw it as risky, given the potential for backfiring when a politician becomes the target of his own meme.
