JD Vance mocked for Les Misérables joke before Kennedy Center visit with Trump
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaks about the economy, during a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US on August 19, 2024. Photo Reuters
Vice President JD Vance faced swift and widespread backlash online after making a joke about the musical Les Misérables ahead of a performance at the Kennedy Center, which he attended alongside President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and his wife, Usha Vance.
About to see Les Miserables with POTUS at the Kennedy Center.
Me to Usha: so what's this about? A barber who kills people?
Usha; [hysterical laughter] — JD Vance (@JDVance) June 11, 2025
Shortly before the show, Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'Me to Usha: so what's this about? A barber who kills people?'—confusing Les Misérables with Sweeney Todd. In a follow-up post, he clarified: 'That's apparently a different thing called 'Sweeney Todd.''
It should be illegal to be this incredibly cringe. https://t.co/szqfixG42O pic.twitter.com/oW1DGsAkED — DSA Orange County 🌹 (@DSAOrangeCounty) June 12, 2025
The remark, intended as a light-hearted joke, was widely panned as disingenuous and tone-deaf. Many online critics noted the irony of a high-ranking government official appearing unaware of the plot of Les Misérables—a story centered on injustice, state repression, and resistance. Some speculated that Vance was downplaying his education and cultural awareness to appeal to a more populist image.
I'm sorry, the only people who would pretend to confuse Sweeney Todd for Les Mis are people who are super into musicals and uncomfortable admitting it. pic.twitter.com/k5sow99bmf
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) June 12, 2025
the idea that knowing Sweeney Todd is more normal (and presumably straighter?) is very funny https://t.co/A78xccJ7Tf — Alex Shephard (@alex_shephard) June 11, 2025
About to see Les Miserables with POTUS at the Kennedy Center.
Me to Usha: so what's this about? A barber who kills people?
Usha; [hysterical laughter] — JD Vance (@JDVance) June 11, 2025
One user wrote, 'Oh for god's sake you went to YALE, give it a rest,' while another commented, 'You can drop the 'Appalachian hillbilly' act.' Others questioned how someone familiar with the plot of Sweeney Todd could be completely unaware of Les Misérables, a cornerstone of Western literature and theater.
Oh for gods sake you went to YALE, give it a rest https://t.co/hZ2zkIeIQS — Sam Biederman (@Biedersam) June 12, 2025
Dr. Aurelia Attal-Juncqua noted, 'Les Misérables is a searing indictment of authoritarianism... resistance and mercy become acts of salvation.'
That s not cute. Les Misérables is a searing indictment of authoritarianism, showing how state repression and inequality crush lives - and how resistance and mercy become acts of salvation. https://t.co/S70kDqRjlX — Dr. Aurelia Attal-Juncqua (@AttalAurelia) June 12, 2025
While Vance's tweet may have aimed to appear relatable, the response suggests it struck a nerve. The backlash highlights ongoing scrutiny of how public figures construct authenticity—and the consequences when those attempts miss the mark.
Omg JD is relatable lololololol
(Love that they're going to a musical while our rights are actively being restricted and they try to ruin lives! It's almost like they're trying to make us 'les miserables') https://t.co/JxKxOuaTY8 — Laura Bedrossian (@LauraBedrossian) June 11, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
38 minutes ago
- Business Recorder
PM Shehbaz condemns ‘unprovoked' attack on Iran by Israel
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned on Friday the unprovoked attack on Iran by Israel. 'I convey my deepest sympathies to the Iranian people on the loss of lives in this attack,' the PM wrote on X. He termed the grave and highly irresponsible act as deeply alarming and said that it risks further de-stabilising 'an already volatile region'. 'We urge the international community and the United Nations to take urgent steps to prevent any further escalation that could imperil regional and global peace.' His statement comes after Israel said it targeted Iran's nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders on Friday at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building an atomic weapon. Iranian state television reported that Hossein Salami, the chief of the elite Revolutionary Guards corps, had been killed and the unit's headquarters in Tehran had been hit. Several children had been killed in a strike on a residential area in the capital, it said. Iran said it was planning to 'give a harsh response' to the attack, an Iranian security source told Reuters. 'The response to the Israeli attack will be harsh and decisive,' the official said, adding that details of Iran's retaliation 'are being discussed at the highest levels' when asked whether the attack would be imminent. Moreover, in a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said the Israeli military strikes violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran and clearly contravene the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law. 'Pakistan stands in resolute solidarity with the people of Iran and unequivocally denounces these blatant provocations, which constitute a grave danger and a serious threat to the peace, security, and stability of the entire region and beyond, with serious implications,' the statement said. Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari too condemned Israel's unprovoked attack. 'We call on all responsible nations and the United Nations to work collectively towards de-escalation and to uphold international law, so that peace and security may prevail over aggression and conflict,' he wrote on X.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Foxconn sends 97% of India iPhone exports to US as Apple tackles Trump's tariffs
NEW DELHI: Nearly all the iPhones exported by Foxconn from India went to the United States between March and May, customs data showed, far above the 2024 average of 50% and a clear sign of Apple's efforts to bypass high US tariffs imposed on China. The numbers, being reported by Reuters for the first time, show Apple has realigned its India exports to almost exclusively serve the US market, when previously the devices were more widely distributed to countries including the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Britain. During March-May, Foxconn exported iPhones worth $3.2 billion from India, with an average 97% shipped to the United States, compared to a 2024 average of 50.3%, according to commercially available customs data seen by Reuters. India iPhone shipments by Foxconn to the United States in May 2025 were worth nearly $1 billion, the second-highest ever after the record $1.3 billion worth of devices shipped in March, the data showed. Apple declined to comment, while Foxconn did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said China will face 55% tariffs after the two countries agreed on a plan, subject to both leaders' approval, to ease levies that had reached triple digits. India is subject, like most U.S trading partners, to a baseline 10% tariff and is trying to negotiate an agreement to avert a 26% 'reciprocal' levy that Trump announced and then paused in April. Apple's increased production in India drew a strong rebuke from Trump in May. 'We are not interested in you building in India, India can take care of themselves, they are doing very well, we want you to build here,' Trump recalled telling CEO Tim Cook. In the first five months of this year, Foxconn has already sent iPhones worth $4.4 billion to the US from India, compared to $3.7 billion in the whole of 2024. Apple has been taking steps to speed up production from India to bypass tariffs, which would make phones shipped from China to the US much more expensive. In March, it chartered planes to transport iPhone 13, 14, 16 and 16e models worth roughly $2 billion to the United States. Apple has also lobbied Indian airport authorities to cut the time needed to clear customs at Chennai airport in the southern state of Tamil Nadu from 30 hours to six hours, Reuters has reported. The airport is a key hub for iPhone exports. Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1.5 billion in India unit 'We expect made-in-India iPhones to account for 25% to 30% of global iPhone shipments in 2025, as compared to 18% in 2024,' said Prachir Singh, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research. Tata Electronics, the other smaller Apple iPhone supplier in India, on average shipped nearly 86% of its iPhone production to the US during March and April, customs data showed. Its May data was not available. The company, part of India's Tata Group, started exporting iPhones only in July 2024, and only 52% of its shipments went to US during 2024, the data showed. Tata declined to comment on the numbers. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in recent years promoted India as a smartphone manufacturing hub, but high duties on importing mobile phone components compared to many other countries means it is still expensive to produce the devices in India. Apple has historically sold more than 60 million iPhones in the US each year, with roughly 80% made in China.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
PARTLY FACETIOUS: ‘We don't talk shoes, we talk pages'
'The word blitzkrieg comes to mind.' 'Whatever do you mean?' 'Blitzkrieg means lightning war – an offensive warfare method responsible for German successes in the early years of the Second World War.' 'That would be the period when Hitler was in-charge, right – a man responsible for the present day German foreign policy supporting genocide of Palestinians.' 'Well, there are other Western nations supporting Israel, and perhaps the reason is the US unconditional support for Israel.' 'Right, but the Germans are kinda different. Anyway, the US has reportedly asked countries to stay away from the UN conference scheduled for next week sponsored by Saudi Arabia and France on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict…' 'Yes, that is according to a US diplomatic cable.' 'Cable or cypher?' 'Are you by any chance referring to the charge levelled by the Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless…' 'If the shoe fits.' 'We don't talk shoes, we talk pages.' 'Shut up anyway, the difference between the two situations is that the one was sent by the US diplomats and the cypher was sent by a Pakistani diplomat. And there I rest my case.' 'But…' 'Stop, no more discussion anyway, when I used the word blitzkrieg I wasn't quite referring…' 'Let me take a guess: the US is pulling out non-essential staff from countries around Iran and sources reveal that it is because Israel has informed its ally that it is going to attack Iran, which would almost certainly pull the US into the fray and…' 'No, not that either. When I used the word blitzkrieg I was actually referring to the presence of the Finance Minister and the Chairman of FBR whichever channel I surfed yesterday.' 'Ha ha yes indeed they first antagonized the independent media then said sorry then Finance Minister displayed some Marie Antoinette like mind set…' 'What that, if the people don't have bread, why don't they eat cake?' 'Let me put it this way, this was not the time to justify the massive increase in salaries of publicly elected representatives and…' 'But the two men displayed a great sense of ease during the post-budget press conference, so what changed?' 'I reckon the Prime Minister told them to explain to the people of the country….' 'Ah, right, I didn't think of that.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
