JD Vance Criticized for Harry Potter-Themed Halloween Costume
Online users react strongly to the senator's Dumbledore costume alongside his newborn son dressed as Dobby.
Vice President JD Vance faced online criticism for his choice of Halloween costume, which featured him dressed as Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore while holding his newborn son, Alec, dressed as Dobby the Elf.
Vance, 41, shared a video of himself in a long grey wig and robe, addressing the camera with a Halloween greeting. His son Alec, born in July, wore a knitted hat with elf ears. The family's themed costumes extended to other members: Second Lady Usha Vance appeared as the Sorting Hat, eldest son Ewan was Harry Potter, and other children Vivek and Mirabel were dressed as a spider and a dragon, respectively.
The family's Harry Potter theme was previously explained by Vance as a nod to his children's interest in the franchise. However, the social media reaction to Vance's costume was largely negative, with some users expressing strong disapproval and questioning his political future.
"Holy s***. This dude will never be president," one user commented. Others recalled past instances of Vance wearing wigs, with some comments making references to him dressing in women's clothing. "Any excuse to wear a wig," read one of the critiques.
Conversely, some users defended Vance, emphasizing that he was simply participating in a holiday with his family. "Do you know how many US dads do this exact same thing because..... they are f***ing dads? STFU," one supporter wrote. Others wished the family a Happy Halloween and praised the "wholesome" nature of the Dumbledore and Dobby pairing.
Amidst the online debate, many comments focused on the appearance of baby Alec, describing him as "ridiculously cute."
This marks the first time in over 150 years that a Vice President's family has welcomed a newborn while in office, with the last instance being in 1870. Vance, in his memoir, had previously written about the couple's decision to limit their family size due to public life pressures. He noted that the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk had influenced his wife Usha's perspective on having more children.
