Overview
- Vice President JD Vance told service members at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach on Wednesday that he tried to stay nonpartisan but joked about former president Joe Biden’s past onstage trips.
- Vance said his aim walking onto the stage was to “don’t fall and bust your ass” and described an internal tug-of-war between an ‘angel’ urging restraint and a ‘devil’ pushing him to mock Biden.
- The comments referenced a widely reported 2023 incident when Biden tripped at the U.S. Air Force Academy and were delivered during the Trump administration’s 250th‑anniversary events.
- Coverage of the remarks appeared across outlets, with Mediaite (citing The Hill) publishing the speech and video carried by Fox News while outlets such as HuffPost highlighted the muted reaction from troops and social media criticism.
- The episode raises questions about norms for partisan speech at military ceremonies and could deepen scrutiny of how political leaders use commemorations for political messaging.