Caitlin Upton, a former Miss Teen USA contestant, has criticized JD Vance for bringing attention to her past stuttering response during the 2007 pageant and using it to make a political jab at Kamala Harris. Upton was just 18 when her answer about why some Americans struggle to locate their own country on a map went viral for its awkwardness.
“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as…” she had stated about U.S. geography, leading to widespread ridicule.
The negative attention left a lasting impact on Upton, who revealed in a 2015 interview that she had considered suicide due to the bullying she faced.
On Thursday, Vance shared a video of Upton’s pageant moment with a caption implying it was a commentary on a recent CNN interview with Harris. However, Upton, now 35 and a mother of two, expressed her disappointment, stating, “It’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up. Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop.” She shared this message on X but soon deleted her account.
Vance responded to a CNN anchor’s reference to Upton’s past struggles by dismissing the video as “a 20-year-old meme,” suggesting that the best response to mockery is to “laugh it off.” He added, “Politics has got way too lame. You can have some fun while making an argument to the American people about improving their lives. I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke but I wish the best for Caitlin and hope she’s doing well.”
This incident follows Vance’s recent controversial remarks about female politicians without children, and his own series of awkward public moments. His tweet came shortly after he faced boos from firefighters at a union convention, where he insisted on calling them “haters” in response to the negativity.