Fact Check: Did JD Vance say he’s seeking ways to block El-Sayed’s swearing-in?
WASHINGTON, DC: After Abdul El-Sayed took a swipe at Vice President JD Vance following his victory, a rumor circulated on social media that Vance is exploring legal options to avoid swearing in the Michigan senator. The claim has sparked mockery, criticism, and speculation online, prompting a fact-check to verify the viral rumor.
Claim: JD Vance exploring options to avoid swearing in Abdul El-Sayed
The claim appeared on X, with a screenshot of an alleged post from Vance's official X account.
The purported post read, “I'm looking at every legal option to avoid being the one who swears Abdul El-Sayed into office. After the level of disrespect he's shown me, he can't seriously expect me to stand there and do him that honor.”
The post has garnered hundreds of thousands of views as of this writing, with many believing it is an authentic post by Vance, while others remained skeptical and called for a fact check of the rumor.
Fact Check: JD Vance made no such post
The claim, however, is false, as no such posts exist on any of Vance’s official social media handles. A search of his X account, as well as his Facebook and Instagram handles, yielded no posts matching the text in the screenshot.
Additionally, there is no evidence that the vice president made such a statement outside of social media, such as official statements, announcements, interviews, or press conferences.
If he had really made such a remark, credible news outlets would have widely covered it, making headlines, but a Google search for the claim yielded no relevant results, except for online posts sharing that claim.
Abdul El-Sayed mocks Donald Trump and JD Vance
The claim surfaced after El-Sayed mocked President Donald Trump and Vance in his Wednesday victory speech after the two Republicans spent months attacking him on the campaign trail.
At a rally in South Carolina, Trump told the crowd, “If you’re Black or if you’re Jewish, and if you vote for Abdul, you’re crazy.”
“JD, habibi, there is this delicious irony in the fact that you’re constitutionally obligated to swear me in in January,” El-Sayed said in a speech to supporters in Detroit.
Referencing the rivalry between the University of Michigan and Vance’s alma mater, Ohio State University, El-Sayed added, “Wolverines 1, Buckeyes 0.”
“Donald, I know you struggle with my name, so after JD swears me in in January, you can go on and call me senator,” El-Sayed said.
