Vice President JD Vance made a joke about former President Joe Biden's stumbles during a speech at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach on Wednesday, a remark that was met with muted reactions from the troops in attendance.
Vance began his remarks by stating his intention to be nonpartisan. He then referenced a common cartoon trope of an angel and a devil on one's shoulders. "I've got the angel on my shoulder saying, 'JD, don't be partisan. We're going to make this nonpartisan,'" Vance said. "And then I've got the devil on my shoulder who wants to talk about every time that Joe Biden fell up or down the stairs. And the media didn't care about that. But if I did it one time, if I did it one time, it would be a major, major story."
Media reports noted that Biden had experienced a few falls while in office, including tripping on a sandbag at the 2023 U.S. Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.
Social media reactions to Vance's attempt at humor were largely critical, with some users pointing out the perceived irony of his remarks given his recent public discussions about his conversion to Catholicism.