People think JD Vance was wearing ‘goth boy’ eyeliner during the VP debate, and the memes are elite
Was JD Vance wearing eyeliner at the Vice Presidential debate? (Scott Olson/Getty)
The Vice Presidential debate covered many bases including Iran’s nuclear programme, climate change and immigration, but there’s one other pressing topic on everybody’s minds – was JD Vance wearing eyeliner?
Maybe he’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline! On Tuesday (1 October), the Vice Presidential debate between Democratic Tim Walz and Republican JD Vance sparked an online discussion around not only politics, but also Donald Trump’s running mate and his (alleged) makeup choices.
The 40-year-old Ohio Senator’s ice-blue eyes have a certain dark smoulder that has caught the attention of the internet and left everyone asking what eyeliner Vance uses – and where can we get some.
Why do people think JD Vance wears eyeliner?
Online, Vance’s eye-enhancing methods, real or not, have been a hotly-debated topic for some time.
Seemingly, the speculation about Vance’s eyeliner began in July when journalist James Surowiecki quote-tweeted a clip of Vance from a September 2021 video interview.
“Why does JD Vance always look like he’s wearing eyeliner?” Surowiecki wrote.
“He doesn’t really seem like the goth-boy type.”
In both studio and more low-key interviews, Vance consistently appears to have a dark eyeliner effect.
The rumours have convinced photojournalist Zach Roberts noted: “I really thought people were joking about this, but then I photographed him last week. Vance 100% does wear eyeliner.”
On TikTok, one woman jokingly claimed that she has found out what brand of eyeliner Vance uses.
Casey, user @mamasissiesays, shared her findings in a post that now has over 300,000 views, saying: “This is unserious political commentary but I can’t stop thinking about it. Is JD Vance wearing eyeliner?”
She compared side-by-side images of Vance and noted that there were conflicting results, in some he’s seemingly wearing eyeliner but in others, he is not.
Casey said: “Obviously something’s going on here… along with some contour. I’d love to know his shade.”
Jokingly, she then said that Vance’s eyeliner pencil is Urban Decay in the shade “desperation”.
“We’re fine with men who wear makeup. What we’re not fine with is hypocrites who make policies, harmful policies, against men who wear makeup,” Casey noted in the TikTok video.
The senator has opposed LGBTQ+ rights and is notably anti-trans, despite the fact it is believed he once performed in drag. A photo which appeared to show the senator in drag during his university days has not been denied or debunked by the Trump-Vance campaign team.
JD Vance eyeliner memes
Of course, the internet being what it is, the whole “Does JD Vance wear eyeliner?” debate has given birth to a score of memes. Here are some of our favourites:
What has JD Vance’s wife said about him wearing eyeliner?
Vance’s wife, American lawyer Usha Vance, has denied that her husband wears eyeliner.
“They’re all natural,” she wrote in a statement to Puck News reporters. “I’ve always been jealous of those lashes.”
Trump has also joined the eyeliner debate; The Bulwark reported that “Trump has repeatedly commented favourably on Vance’s ‘beautiful’ blue eyes and long eyelashes.”
Disgraced former congressman George Santos has also weighed in. Santos, historically, has had a rather dubious relationship with the truth (to put it lightly), so his testimony should be taken with a grain of salt.
“Vance does NOT use eye liner,” George Santos wrote.
“I’ve met him in person before he was a senator and I can confirm he has long eyelashes and they cast a shadow on his waterline when is studios full of lights…Grow up people!”
JD Vance’s eyeliner on The Daily Show
The Daily Show, a late-night satirical news program, launched an (unserious) investigation into the Vance eyeliner “conspiracy” on TikTok.
“If you look closely, we can see that Vance has lined the inner corner of his eyes with a dark black that could be to make his baby blues pop,” the reporter noted.
“Or, it could be to reflect the dark black part of his soul that hates childless women.”
Throughout his campaign, Vance has made comments that women who don’t have children are “childless cat ladies” and are “miserable at their own lives and the choices they’ve made, so want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
Those singled out as “childless” include Kamala Harris, who is stepmother to husband Doug Emhoff’s two children. It was also aimed at transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, who adopted twins with his husband in 2021.
Going on to investigate what sort of eyeshadow Vance uses, they noted it’s an all-day eyeliner as it appears on both the Senate floor and in national interviews.
“I’m going to guess he’s using Maybelline eyestick in the shade Faux Hillbilly or Revlon super smudge in the shade Business Ewok.”
They take a photo of Vance and add more eyeliner on his lower lash waterline to give him tips on how to accentuate his eyes.
“With this technique, he’s serving more of a ‘I support mass deportations’ vibe.”
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