The emergence of Tropical Storm Vance in the eastern Pacific has coincided with a flurry of online jokes and commentary, with social media users drawing connections between the weather event and Vice President JD Vance.
The National Hurricane Center announced the formation of Tropical Storm Vance, located hundreds of miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. Forecasters predicted it could strengthen into a major hurricane but posed no immediate threat to land.
However, the name coincidence was not lost on internet users. Similar to past instances where tropical storms shared names with public figures, social media platforms were quickly filled with puns and memes referencing Vice President Vance. Many of the jokes alluded to couches, a recurring theme in political commentary associated with the Vice President.
The weather event occurred as Vice President Vance himself was in the news for controversial remarks made regarding an attack ad by Vivek Ramaswamy against a political candidate. Vance stated he was “disgusted” by Republicans who objected to Ramaswamy's ad, which involved the candidate's estranged mother speaking about her daughter.
While some users acknowledged the storm was not officially named after the Vice President, the overlap in names provided ample material for lighthearted social media reactions.
The storm itself is expected to bring heavy rain and rough surf to Mexico's Pacific coast, even if it avoids making direct landfall.