Photo of JD Vance in drag causes chaos online as campaign refuses comment
Washington DC - Donald Trump's running mate, Senator JD Vance, went viral on Sunday after photos of the vice presidential candidate in drag were posted to X.
Reportedly taken during his time at Yale University, the image depicts Vance donning a blonde wig and dark eye makeup while wearing a large necklace and a patterned maxi skirt.
Naturally, the photo of the politician, who has adopted many of the far-right positions of his new boss, sparked chaos on social media.
But as the photo went viral, a spokesperson for Vance wouldn't deny that it was indeed him in the photo, instead declining to comment when approached by the Daily Beast.
As for where the photo came from, the snap allegedly originated in a group message between former law school classmates of Vance.
Vance has been a staunch opponent of LGBTQ+ rights
Per the Daily Beast, a man named Travis Whitfill brought the photo to light.
According to him, it was taken in 2012 by a fellow Yale student and was recently sent to him by a friend.
Whitfill, in turn, forwarded it to influencer Matt Bernstein, who then shared it via X.
"It's from a group chat of Vance's fellow classmates and is from a friend of a friend," Whitfill told the outlet.
"I believe it was grabbed from Facebook and was taken at a Halloween party."
As he continues to lean further right, Vance has become a staunch opponent of LGBTQ+ rights, including same-sex marriage and drag shows.
The Hillbilly Elegy author has taken aim at the rights of transgender Americans, in particular, by introducing the Protect Children's Innocence Act, which would criminalize gender-affirming care for minors.
Cover photo: Collage: Adam Bettcher / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP & Screenshot/X/@mattxiv