J.D. Vance, the Republican vice presidential candidate, was recently photographed swimming at a luxury resort with his t-shirt on, sparking a wave of mockery on social media. The incident, captured by TMZ, has quickly gone viral, with critics poking fun at Vance’s choice to stay covered while enjoying the pool.
TMZ reported the story under the headline, “J.D. Vance Beats Heat in S.D. Swimming Pool … Wears Shirt Into Water,” detailing how Vance was spotted over the weekend at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, a high-end resort in La Jolla, San Diego. “J.D. Vance is trying to beat the heat down in sunny San Diego … jumping in a swimming pool — but, don’t think you’re getting a glimpse at his bare torso,” the outlet reported. They described the Republican VP candidate’s unusual poolside behavior, noting, “He went for a dip at the luxury resort … hopping in the pool with his shirt still on.”
The images quickly drew attention, leading to a flood of humorous and critical responses online. Former prosecutor Ron Filipkowski was one of the first to comment, saying, “Weirdo wore his shirt in the pool.” Others followed suit, with actor Bruno Amato jokingly replying, “…and for that we should be grateful.”
Life coach Pete Quily speculated about Vance’s motives, tweeting, “Wow. Pro-Trump TMZ shows this. I know JD is very creepy and weird. But why does he keep escalating the weirdness? Does the far-right extremist have far-right tattoos he’s covering up?” Meanwhile, retired U.S. Army medic Molly Ploofkins found the scene strange as well, adding, “J.D. Vance, surrounded by Secret Service with the pool to himself, goes swimming with his shirt on at the luxury La Jolla Hotel.”
Comedian Jay Black also joined the conversation, delivering a tongue-in-cheek observation: “I mean, we ALL knew that JD Vance was a wear-his-shirt-in-the-pool guy, even before we knew it, like some Jungian imagery in our collective unconscious, right?” On a similar note, artist Art Candee added on Sunday, “JD Vance isn’t beating those ‘weird’ allegations anytime soon for swimming in his t-shirt. He’s super weird.”
The viral moment has provided plenty of comedic fodder for social media users, who continue to have a field day with Vance’s poolside appearance. For now, the incident serves as another strange episode in the political spotlight for the Republican VP candidate.