JD Vance Faces Backlash as College Drag Photos Emerge, Sparking Hypocrisy Accusations

Photos of U.S. Senator JD Vance in drag from his time at Yale Law School in 2012 have resurfaced, sparking significant criticism and claims of hypocrisy. The images, showing Vance in a blonde wig, shirt, and skirt, have reignited discussions about his public persona and views. The controversy began when Matt Bernstein, a user on X (formerly Twitter), posted one of the photos with the caption, “new: I have obtained a photo of JD Vance in drag while at Yale Law School.” The source of the photo was later identified as Travis Whitfill, an assistant professor at Yale, who confirmed his involvement, saying, “Hi Matt, I was the source of the photo (sent through friends to you). This was taken in 2012 (the same time I was at Yale 🥴). Photo was taken by a classmate and sent to me. Thanks for sharing 😘.”

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Whitfill elaborated that the photo came from a group chat among Vance’s classmates and likely originated from Facebook. It was taken at a Halloween party. A few days after the initial post, Bernstein shared a second image, captioning it, “A second photo has hit my inbox.”

As the images spread, they quickly became the target of online mockery. One user joked, “Feelin’ cute. Might run for Vice President later,” while another commented, “What better way to get on Trump’s good side than by trying to look like his Ivanka….”

Despite the viral spread of the photos and the ensuing jokes, some individuals defended Vance, arguing that the images were being misconstrued. One user remarked, “Is putting on a wig at a college party really considered drag? That’s an insult to my drag friends who perform at balls and in the Houses.” Another added, “I can’t decide which is worse: not being able to tell the difference between a party costume and actual drag because you think it’s normal for men to dress as women, or being deliberately dishonest about the context of the costume.”

George Santos, who faced similar scrutiny in 2023 when photos of him in drag emerged, also defended Vance. Santos dismissed the accusations, stating that it “definitely” wasn’t drag. “The guy went to a costume party and threw on a cheap wig from Party City or something like that,” Santos said. “Calling that drag is disingenuous. Most guys have probably played around with costumes that challenge gender norms at some point.”

Critics of Vance quickly clarified that their concern wasn’t with the act of dressing in drag itself, but with what they view as his hypocrisy. One user on X pointed out, “Don’t call JD Vance weird for wearing drag. Call him a hypocrite and a bigot for condemning others who wear drag.” Another echoed this sentiment, tweeting, “I’m not sharing this to shame those who do drag, but to criticize those who attack drag while having a history of enjoying it themselves.”

What are your thoughts on these resurfaced photos? Let us know what you think!