Joy Reid hits back at JD Vance for 'wasting time' trolling her amid govt shutdown

Joy Reid responded to JD Vance's tweet, saying she was surprised he took the time to reply directly to her comments
PUBLISHED OCT 3, 2025
JD Vance tweeted about a video of Joy Reid discussing her family’s experiences with racism in the US (Getty Images)
JD Vance tweeted about a video of Joy Reid discussing her family’s experiences with racism in the US (Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, DC: Former MSNBC anchor Joy Reid has publicly criticized Vice President JD Vance for engaging in what she called “Twitter trolling” amid the ongoing Republican-led government shutdown.

Reid expressed disbelief that the vice president would focus on responding to her remarks rather than addressing pressing national issues, including the shutdown and economic turmoil.

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JULY 07: Joy Reid attends during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 07, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
 Joy Reid attends during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® at Ernest N Morial Convention Center on July 07, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

Joy Reid responds to JD Vance’s tweet

Joy Reid took to her Substack on Thursday to respond to JD Vance’s tweet in which he shared a clip of Reid discussing her family’s experience with racism in the US, writing, “My honest, non-trolling advice to Joy Reid is that you’d be a much happier person if you showed a little gratitude.”


The vice president has too much time on his hands by Joy-Ann Reid

Tweet less and govern more, James David; you are wasting our time and tax money

Read on Substack

 

In her post, Reid expressed shock that Vance, as vice president, would devote time to her comments instead of governing.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks following a meeting with Congressional Democrats and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. Congressional leaders met with President Trump to negotiate funding legislation to avoid a government shutdown. Vance was accompanied by (L-R) Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD). (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks following a meeting with Congressional Democrats and US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 29, 2025 in Washington, DC (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“I have to admit, I am surprised that the vice president of the United States has so much time on his hands that he’s scrolling old interviews of mine,” she wrote. “Tweet less and govern more, James David; you are wasting our time and tax money.”

Joy Reid points to broader crises amid government shutdown

Joy Reid highlighted several ongoing issues, including the government shutdown, rising unemployment, and economic disruptions caused by Trump-era policies. “We are, after all, just one day into a Republican government shutdown, Trump’s disastrous tariffs are wreaking hell on our economy, likely prompting yet another Trump bailout of the farmers who largely voted for him and those tariffs too,” she wrote.

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 01: The U.S. Capitol Visitors Center is closed to visitors during the federal government shut down on October 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. The government shut down early Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal. ( (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The US Capitol Visitors Center is closed to visitors during the federal government shutdown on October 01, 2025 in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

She also criticized the administration’s leadership over public health and the military. “Our health agencies are in the shaky hands of a former heroin addict/vaccine truther and a TV doctor from Oprah’s former show. And the former weekend TV host in charge of our military just forced our entire military leadership to watch him do a creepy, manosphere TED Talk,” Reid added.

Background on JD Vance and Joy Reid's exchange

The feud stems from an earlier Vance response to Reid’s comments that he may have benefitted from affirmative action when he got into Yale. Reid had remarked on Don Lemon’s show on Sept 24, “Maybe the way JD Vance got into Yale is because they were tired of just letting in white men from New York from Choate, from all the elite schools. They wanted an Appalachian white. That’s how that man got into Yale, I promise you. That’s also affirmative action and DEI.”

Vance responded by posting a meme of himself bald with a bloated face. On Thursday, he reiterated that Reid should show gratitude, prompting her lengthy Substack response.

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