(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Talk about turning the tables.
Conservatives rallied around an “unearthed” photo of Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance as an 18-year-old, playfully posing next to three girls using urinals in a men’s bathroom.
The photo, first published by the Daily Mail on Thursday, appeared in the 2003 yearbook of Middletown High School, Vance’s high school.
The image shows a young Vance, then known as JD Hamel, smiling in a black shirt while standing next to the three girls, who are equally grinning at the camera.
Despite the photo’s innocuous purpose—that is, celebrating the girls who were elected to student government positions—some leftist users on X attempted to use it against Vance.
Mike Sington, a former NBC Universal producer, was among the prominent figures leading the attacks, calling Vance “weird” for posing in the photo.
Sington, who previously faced backlash for inappropriately claiming Barron Trump was “fair game” after turning 18, failed in his smear of Vance.
“Pretending to be scandalized or offended by JD being a typical goofball in his youth is so dumb, this is a benignly funny pic and you know it,” journalist Michael Tracey commented on X, sharing the photo.
Other prominent figures on X swiftly mocked the left’s desperate attacks, turning the photo into a meme.
Libs of TikTok creator Chaya Raichik shared edited images to depict Vance in various goofy and innocent scenarios.
“Leaked image of JD Vance not returning his shopping cart in high school. He’s COOKED,” Raichik joked, sharing a photoshopped image of Vance in a parking lot.
BREAKING: Leaked image of JD Vance not returning his shopping cart in high school.
He's COOKED. pic.twitter.com/m1LxSndrHe
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 15, 2024
X user MazeMoore, known for right-leaning content, quipped, “It gets worse. There is a rumor going around that Vance once added stuff to his Amazon cart and then signed off without checking out. How do you trust someone like that?”
Another user shared an altered image of Vance in front of a computer to jest he had downloaded music illegally. “JD Vance once illegally downloaded Linkin Park’s single ‘Crawling’ off the album Hybrid Theory using LimeWire,” the user wrote.
🚨BREAKING🚨 JD Vance once illegally downloaded Linkin Park's single “Crawling" off the album Hybrid Theory using LimeWire. pic.twitter.com/TCwFQh6gMv
— Silent Memejority (@memejority) August 15, 2024
Republican activist CJ Pearson chimed in. “Oh no. JD Vance took silly pictures in high school! My heavens!” he sarcastically lamented.
At least one of women featured in the original urinal photo defended Vance, affirming the photo was meant to be a joke about women gaining student government positions that year in high school. “We thought it would be funny,” one of the women told the Mail.
Nikki May, a former classmate, agreed, calling Vance “great student.” She added, “I am very proud to say I went to high school with JD and very impressed of the man he has become. I wish him all the best and I am rooting for him to succeed!”
May remains a friend of Vance on his personal Facebook page, Headline USA found.
Find below some of the meme and AI-generated versions of the Vance photo:
BREAKING: Leaked photo reveals that JD Vance likes his steaks well-done.
He's toast. pic.twitter.com/Nf9w7BxtEt
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 15, 2024
BREAKING: Leaked image of JD Vance shows he once ripped off a mattress tag.
THIS MAN MUST BE STOPPED pic.twitter.com/cEdx4SbQvI
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 15, 2024
BREAKING: I have uncovered a JD Vance image from high school of him ripping a cigarette, drinking NOS, and rolling on some heelys pic.twitter.com/4TtCKEsOKW
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 15, 2024
Photo uncovered of J.D. Vance returning a VHS tape to Blockbuster WITHOUT rewinding it first.
Is he done? pic.twitter.com/Kd2qmvximg
— Brick Suit (@Brick_Suit) August 15, 2024
These leaked JD Vance photos are THE END of his career pic.twitter.com/zMYnxIRBry
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 15, 2024
BREAKING: Leaked image of JD Vance at age 3 stealing toys from other kids.
This will surely end his campaign. pic.twitter.com/rNMaTjiL16
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 15, 2024
BREAKING: Leaked image shows JD Vance once washed a "Dry Clean Only" shirt in a washing machine.
He's ruined. pic.twitter.com/a9DYVYzeMX
— Chaya Raichik (@ChayaRaichik10) August 15, 2024
