Vice President JD Vance attempted a Wisconsin joke during a speech in Milwaukee. The result was an awkward misfire that has been getting mocked across social media.
JD Vance criticized after his joke fails to land
Vance appeared at the Wisconsin National Guard Air Refueling Wing to discuss the Trump administration’s efforts to tackle benefit fraud. However, his policy message was overshadowed by a joke attempt at regional humour that left audiences puzzled, and critics amused.
The Vice President began what seemed like a standard compliment. “I love Wisconsin,” he told the crowd, describing the state as “one of the most beautiful states in the union, especially this time of year.” He then attempted a Northern Midwest accent, joking “Wis-cawntin” before trying again with “Wis-cawnsin.”
The impression appeared to fall flat. Those in the room reacted with silence, while viewers online were far less forgiving. Social media users on X (formerly Twitter) dissected the delivery. One user posted, “please unmute this. it’s so much worse than the text could ever convey.”
Another wrote, “If Vance were a spice, he’d be flour.” A third observed, “Its so funny that he realizes he screwed up the Wisconsin accent the first time, takes another Crack at it, and then says it the exact same way.”
The accent stumble was not the only awkward moment during JD Vance’s 40-minute appearance in Wisconsin. Earlier in the speech, he revealed a large poster meant to display a photo of a Wisconsin woman convicted of healthcare fraud (via HuffPost).
The venue lighting interfered with the reveal, washing out the image. Vance continued referencing the photograph even though the glare made it impossible for attendees to see what he was pointing at.
A banner reading “Protecting Taxpayer Dollars” was the backdrop for the event. Vance addressed the core theme of his visit with remarks on government accountability. “We’re here to talk about fraud, we’re here to talk about protecting your taxpayer money, and most importantly, we’re here to talk about protecting the programs that exist that are funded by the generosity of the people in this room,” he said.
The Milwaukee stop focused on Medicaid and social service fraud, aligning with broader administration priorities.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu on Mandatory.
