JD Vance's Inauguration Day Joke Hints He'd Rather Be Anywhere Than By Trump's Side
If Vice President-elect JD Vance could have his way, he'd probably skip the Inauguration Day festivities in Washington, DC and hang out in the Buckeye State instead. While Vance will be sworn in as VP on January 20, 2025, that's the exact same day as the College Football Playoff National Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State — the latter being Vance's alma mater.
You'd think someone who's about to become the third-youngest vice president in our nation's history would be a little more stoked about the honor, but Vance seems like he's keeping his eye on the (literal) ball instead. "Hopefully everyone is cool with me skipping the inauguration so I can go to the national title game," Vance posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, 10 days before Inauguration Day. He then shared a meme highlighting his Sophie's Choice.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 11, 2025
While it's clear he was joking, Trump and Vance have a complicated relationship, which isn't exactly ideal when they're about to be handed the reins to guide the country. Within the last few weeks, the public has seen much less of Vance and way more of Elon Musk, Trump's new BFF — although the pair's bromance may be on the outs sooner than expected. Inauguration Day is huge for both the incoming president and vice president, so one would expect Vance to be pumped about this great honor. A joke is a joke... unless current circumstances make it seem like the quip is masking a more serious undertone.
Most commenters on X didn't care if Vance missed the big day
Sadly for JD Vance, many people didn't seem to mind the idea of him skipping his own inauguration to watch football. One X user teased, "Game!!!! You will have two more inaugurations!" and included a GIF that zoomed in on Vance's face. (Presumably, this person is predicting Vance will ultimately become president and serve two terms, thus the need for two more inaugurations.)
A few people thought there was a way for Vance to attend both events in some capacity. "Maybe you could wear a little earpiece with the game on," suggested one person. Another calculated it was doable to first go to the inauguration, then fly to the game. "It seems possible to do both,although it would be tight. They are at noon & 7:30pm eastern & the flight time is 2 hours."
"A real American would always choose football over political nonsense," joked another X user. But while many understood Vance wasn't actually being serious, some of the replies took his comments at face value, which troubled people who knew the VP-elect was only kidding.