JD Vance refuses to apologize to Miss Teen USA contestant after insulting her to mock Kamala Harris

WASHINGTON, DC: GOP vice presidential nominee and Ohio Sen JD Vance refused to apologize to 2007 Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton for using an embarrassing clip of her to mock Democratic presidential nominee and VP Kamala Harris, on Friday, August 30, during an interview on CNN.

Vance used a video where Upton was seen fumbling to explain why some Americans supposedly cannot find the United States on a map, to mock Harris after her interview on the same network the previous day.

Upton is known to have struggled with public ridicule after the incident and even admittedly contemplated suicide, according to HuffPost. However, even after Vance was made aware of the facts, he refused to "apologize for posting a joke."

JD Vance's comments about Caitlin Upton on CNN

JD Vance told CNN anchor John Berman on Friday that he was unaware of Upton's mental health struggles and shared, "My heart goes out to her, and I hope that she’s doing well.”

He then proceeded to explain his conduct claiming that he “said a lot of stupid things on camera” and “sometimes when you’re in the public eye, you make mistakes.”

According to the senator, the best way to deal with it “is to laugh at ourselves, laugh at this stuff, and try to have some fun in politics.”

"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. Those are the real crises that we should focus on," he continued.

“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. Politics has gotten way too lame, John, way too boring. You can have some fun while making a good argument to the American people about how you’re going to improve their lives," added Vance.

Berman then asked Vance if he would like to apologize “given what you’ve now learned," to which the latter refused, saying, “John, I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke, but I wish the best for Caitlin.”

Caitlin Upton and Internet call out JD Vance

In response to Vance's CNN interview, Upton had taken to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), writing, "It’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up. There’s not too much else to say about it at this point. Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop." The tweet has since been deleted.

Others on the platform also slammed Vance over his comments, as the following posts demonstrate.

"Wow! JD Vance refused to apologize to Caitlin Upton. Easiest thing to do. But no. The arrogance! The smugness! The lack of empathy! Totally on brand for Vance, which is why most Americans dislike him. He finds new ways to disgust me every single day. He never disappoints," wrote a person.

"Trump and JD Vance’s theory of MAGA is that shameless depravity is a virtue. They think this is what the base wants to see. They think very little of their voters. If the base believes they’re better than this, then they should stop rewarding this behavior with their votes," shared another.

"You've heard of doubling down. Well, JD is waaaay beyond doubling down. He is taking alienating women, and frankly human beings, to an exponential level. This guy is a monster. He's an asset to Kamala's campaign, but other than that he's a real POS," expressed a third.

"Anyone who considers making fun of a woman who was considering suicide is NOT fit for office," stated a fourth.

"'It was a joke! Not apologizing. Politics is lame.' Translation: Women are beneath me, have I not made that crystal clear? I will never apologize for the misogynistic cruelty I’ve repeatedly inflicted. Politics is lame without cruelty at the expense of women," posted a fifth.

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.