JD Vance accepts speaking 'lot of stupid things' as he's confronted on beauty queen dunk mocking Harris

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance recently acknowledged that he has said "a lot of stupid things" after being confronted over his controversial comparison of Vice President Kamala Harris to a teenage beauty pageant contestant.

Vance, who made the comparison in a viral post, refused to apologize but did admit that his remarks were ill-considered.

Vance was confronted during an interview on CNN by host John Berman regarding his decision to share a viral clip of former South Carolina beauty queen Caitlin Upton. The clip, which gained notoriety years ago, had once driven Upton to contemplate suicide.

JD Vance compares Caitlin Upton's viral clip to mock Kamala Harris

The controversy began when JD Vance posted a clip of Caitlin Upton on X, formerly known as Twitter, in an attempt to ridicule Vice President Kamala Harris for her interview on CNN.

The video was Upton's infamous meandering response during a beauty pageant that became widely circulated online.

Vance captioned the post, "BREAKING: I have gotten a hold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview."

When Berman brought up the clip during their interview, he quoted a 2015 New York Magazine interview with Upton in which she revealed that the attention from the clip had left her "very, very depressed" and made her "thought about committing suicide."

Berman then asked Vance, "So when you posted this last night, were you aware that the woman you are posting a picture of had contemplated committing suicide for the attention that it received?"

JD Vance refuses to apologize but admits to speaking 'a lot of stupid things on camera'

In response, JD Vance expressed sympathy for Caitlin Upton but refused to apologize for sharing the clip.

"No, certainly not John and my heart goes out to her and I hope that she’s doing well," he said. Vance then admitted, "Look, I’ve said a lot of things on camera. I’ve said a lot of stupid things on camera," Mediate reported.

Despite acknowledging his past mistakes, Vance defended his actions by arguing that humor has a place in politics.

"Sometimes when you’re in the public eye, you make mistakes. And again, I think the best way to deal with it is to laugh at ourselves, laugh at this stuff, and try to have some fun in politics," Vance said.

"I posted a meme from 20 years ago and I think the fact that we’re talking about that instead of the fact that American families can’t afford groceries or health care, young families can’t afford to buy a home to raise their families in… And those are the real crises that we should focus on," he added.

"And there’s nothing that says that we can’t tell some jokes along the way while we deal with the very serious business of bringing back our public policy," Vance continued.

Internet reacts to JD Vance's remarks

Following the interview, JD Vance's comments sparked a range of reactions on social media after the Harris campaign shared a short clip from the interview were Vance made an admission of speaking a lot of stupid things.

Some users pointed out the irony in Vance's admission. "Finally saying something true," wrote one person on X.

Another commented, "Probably even more off camera." Others criticized Vance for not taking full responsibility. "The best way to deal with it is to show accountability," suggested one user.

Another chimed in with, "Understatement of the year."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.