Vice President JD Vance Faces Backlash Over Joke Involving Senate Candidate

Vice President JD Vance faced criticism on October 13, 2026, after making a joke that appeared to use being gay as a punchline during a campaign event in Tyler, Texas, for Ken Paxton. In response to a crowd member expressing affection, Vance said, "I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico." This comment drew backlash from political observers who accused Vance of making a homophobic remark towards James Talarico, a Democratic state representative who identifies as straight and has a girlfriend. Professor and independent journalist Adam Cochran commented, "The Vice President of the United States... in 2026...Trying to insult a Senate candidate...by implying he is gay. How terribly far we have fallen as a nation." MS NOW's Zeeshan Aleem criticized the joke, stating, "VP says ‘no homo’ and calls a candidate gay as a joke. We're in high school, maybe middle school." Political commentator Andy Ostroy suggested that instead of focusing on personal attacks, Vance and the GOP could address pressing issues like healthcare and immigration. Matthew Yglesias, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, remarked on social media about the Republican Party's messaging towards traditionally blue constituencies. Hemant Mehta, a Jeopardy! champion, also commented on the situation, stating, "Talarico is straight and has a girlfriend. Vance is just an a-----e."