Fact Check: Did JD Vance ever back 'No human is illegal', or is it misleading?

WASHINGTON, DC: A June 2023 social media post from Vice President JD Vance has resurfaced online, with critics claiming it proves he once endorsed several progressive political slogans, including "No human is illegal" and "Black Lives Matter."

The post has been widely shared as evidence that Vance previously held liberal views before joining President Donald Trump's ticket.

This fact check examines whether that interpretation accurately reflects the original post.

Claim: JD Vance endorsed progressive slogans

A resurfaced X post from June 2023 shows JD Vance writing "In this house we believe: Black Lives Matter. No human is illegal. Prigozhin is a Liberal reformer. Love is love."

Many users have circulated the post as evidence that Vance once embraced progressive causes, with some referring to him as "Woke JD Vance."

Social media users claim that Vance changed his stance on critical issues after he began working with President Donald Trump.

Fact Check: The post is real but missing context

JD Vance did publish the post on X on June 25, 2023, and the screenshots circulating online are genuine.

However, presenting the message as a sincere endorsement of progressive ideology omits the context in which it was written.

The wording deliberately mimicked the well-known yard signs that became popular after the 2016 election, reading: "In this house, we believe: Black Lives Matter. Women's rights are human rights. No human is illegal. Science is real. Love is love."

Vance altered that format by inserting the phrase: "Prigozhin is a Liberal reformer." That reference was widely understood at the time as sarcasm.

The post appeared just days after Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Russia's Wagner Group, launched his short-lived armed mutiny against Moscow.

Prigozhin was a Russian oligarch and mercenary commander, not a liberal political figure.

By describing him as a "liberal reformer," Vance was making an intentionally absurd comparison, signaling that the entire post was satirical rather than a genuine political declaration.

Shortly afterward, Vance followed up with another post joking: "Everyone update their signs."

A spokesperson for the vice president's office has since confirmed that the 2023 post was intended as satire and was mocking liberal political messaging during the news cycle surrounding the Wagner rebellion.

There is no evidence that Vance was announcing support for the progressive slogans included in the parody.