Details Miscued: JD Vance

Bizarre Rumors Swirl Around JD Vance, Republican VP Nominee

American voters know JD Vance as the Ohio senator, author of "Hillbilly Elegy", and Trump's running mate. But there's a lot moremaking the rounds on the internet:

• A viral rumor claimed Vance admitted to a sexual act with a couch in his memoir. The claim was fake but spread widely, even appearing on TV shows.
• Vance's post about a photo of a woman and a dolphin raised questions about his search history.
• Wired reported on Vance's Venmo friends list, which included notable and controversial figures.
• Speculation on social media suggests Vance wears eyeliner, highlighting his dark eyelashes.
• Vance joked about drinking Diet Mountain Dew, sparking accusations of racism from Democrats.

Spokesperson Luke Schroeder declined to comment on these rumors.

The Couch Rumor

On July 15, an now-deleted X post by @rickrudescalves claimed Vance described a sexual act with couch cushions in "Hillbilly Elegy". The claim was fake but went viral, even appearing on "Last Week Tonight" and "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert". @rickrudescalves told Business Insider he made it up as a joke.

The Dolphin Post

On Feb. 17, Vance posted a screenshot of a tweet by @crazyclipsonly, showing an image of a woman and a dolphin with the caption: "Woman gets violated by a dolphin and enjoys it." Vance wrote: "Maybe the internet was a mistake." In July, X users noticed "woman" and "dolphin" were bolded, indicating searched terms, leading to questions about his search history.

The Venmo Connections

Wired reported on Vance's Venmo friends list, which included Amalia Halikias of the Heritage Foundation, Trump critics like Jeff Flake, and journalists like Tucker Carlson. Vance's Venmo account seems deleted now.

The Eyeliner Speculation

Vance's prominent eyes and dark eyelashes have sparked speculation on TikTok that he wears eyeliner, with some even guessing the brand. Old photos of Vance, including his Marine Corps picture, show he's always had dark eyelashes.

The Mountain Dew Joke

At a rally, Vance joked about drinking Diet Mountain Dew, leading to accusations of racism from Democrats, including Kentucky governor Andy Beshear.