Overview
- Vice President JD Vance drew a long pause and only light clapping Friday during the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service outside the U.S. Capitol.
- A short video posted by journalist Aaron Rupar spread across social platforms and drew comparisons to Jeb Bush’s 2016 “please clap” moment.
- Critics said Vance turned a solemn Fraternal Order of Police remembrance into a political pitch with lines about cashless bail and migrant crime.
- Experts cited by The New Republic said studies have not shown a significant rise in violent crime tied to cashless bail and that immigrants offend at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens.
- Coverage from left-leaning outlets focused on the awkward silence and the politicization of the event, and no response from Vance’s office was reported.