2024-08-31 05:05:02
Former beauty pageant contestant Caitlin Upton rebuked Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, for mocking Vice President Kamala Harris by using a 17-year-old viral clip of a widely ridiculed answer Upton gave during a pageant—then refusing to apologize when CNN pointed out that Upton said she had suicidal thoughts over the backlash at the time.
Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance speaks at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. … [+]
Boston Globe via Getty ImagesUpton, 35, who was Miss South Carolina Teen USA in 2007, gave an illogical and rambling response during the Miss Teen USA 2007 contest when asked why she believes one-fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a map.
The segment was viewed millions of times on YouTube, widely mocked in the comments section and became the subject of numerous news articles, from the Associated Press to The Guardian.
Upton—a model who later appeared on “The Amazing Race” reality TV show—corrected herself in an interview on the Today show shortly after the pageant, with the then-18-year-old explaining that she was overwhelmed by the question and providing a coherent response.
Vance on Thursday posted the clip on X, formerly known as Twitter, to take a jab at Harris’ CNN interview, writing “I have gotten hold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.”
Vance then refused to apologize Friday when he appeared on CNN and host John Berman pointed out that Upton said in a 2015 New York Magazine piece about “life after internet fame” that she became “very, very depressed” amid the backlash and “thought about committing suicide.”
Vance said he wasn’t aware that Upton had contemplated suicide, but defended his tweet and said his “heart goes out” to Upton and he hopes “that she’s doing well.”
Shortly after Vance appeared on CNN, Upton tweeted “it’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up,” calling for an end to online bullying, without mentioning Vance by name—she then appeared to have deleted her account hours later.
“Politics has gotten way too lame, John, way too boring. You can have some fun while making a good argument to the American people about how you’re going to improve their lives,” Vance said on CNN. “John, I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke, but I wish the best for Caitlin.”
Vance has been at the center of a number of controversies and awkward moments since former President Donald Trump tapped him as his running mate in July. On Thursday, Vance was booed at the International Association of Fire Fighters Convention immediately after taking the stage, to which he responded “sounds like we got some fans and some haters.” Vance’s visit to a donut shop in Georgia also went viral earlier this month when employees responded to his attempts at small talk with apathy. One worker asked not to be filmed and responded “OK” when Vance introduced himself and said he was running for vice president.
CNN’s Dana Bash interviewed Harris on Thursday following weeks of pressure for the vice president to agree to a media sit-down. She mostly reiterated her previously disclosed policy positions, including promises to tamp down on “price gouging” and expand access to affordable housing. She defended President Joe Biden’s economic policies, noting that inflation has cooled in recent months, and she also clarified that she is against a fracking ban, after saying during her previous presidential run that she supported one.
How Harris’ Views On Fracking Have Changed—After Backtracking On Ban (Forbes)
What We Know About Kamala Harris’ Policy Agenda After CNN Interview (Forbes)
Kamala Harris Defends Biden Admin’s Economic Record In First Big Interview—But Says ‘More To Do’ (Forbes)
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