JD Vance’s Halloween costume drew sharp online mockery after he appeared as Albus Dumbledore while holding his infant son.
The vice president, 41, posted a video on Saturday showing himself in a long grey wig and robe with baby Alec, who was dressed as Dobby the Elf from the Harry Potter series. “Hey guys, Vice President Dumbledore here with little Dobby the Elf,” Vance told the camera in the clip, before urging viewers to “eat a lot of candy.”
The festive family moment landed less than a week before Tuesday’s midterm elections, with polls forecasting a difficult evening for Vance’s Republican allies. Social media users quickly seized on the costume, with several mocking Vance’s apparent fondness for wigs.
“Diva sure loves a wig,” wrote one X user. Another fired back, “I thought you were Daenerys Targaryen,” referencing the platinum-blonde Game of Thrones character.
“I was really hoping this was an AI-generated video,” wrote @kittenstormer on X. A separate user quipped, “Not the first time this weirdo has put on a wig,” as commenters revived an old photo of Vance wearing a blonde wig in a resurfaced image from years past.
The mockery grew more pointed from other corners of the platform. “JD Vance literally just keeps hitting all new lows,” one user wrote.
Not all responses were negative. “This is pretty funny. He should become a comedian after he’s done being VP,” one commenter offered. Another wrote, “Vice President Dumbledore and baby Dobby is the most wholesome thing on the timeline today.” Several defenders noted that Vance was simply enjoying Halloween as a father, with one adding, “Politics aside, that baby is ridiculously cute.”
The family’s Harry Potter theme had been previewed earlier, with Vance noting that their children were fans of the series. Eldest son Ewan dressed as Harry Potter himself, while Vivek and Mirabel appeared as a spider and a dragon.
Alec’s birth in July made history for the Second Family. Usha and JD Vance announced in January that they were expecting their fourth child, and Alec’s arrival marked the first time an incumbent Second Family added a newborn since 1870, when Schuyler Colfax, vice president to Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife Ellen had a son.
In his memoir Communion, Vance revealed the couple had previously decided against more children because of the pressures of public life, until the assassination of his close friend Charlie Kirk last fall changed Usha’s mind. “Something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy. One life was stolen from us, but another was given,” he wrote.
The Halloween post came after a campaign stretch that has not always gone smoothly for Vance. Last week, he was branded “insensitive” at a CNN town hall in Ohio after cracking a joke while answering a young woman’s question about rising prices and affordability.
Vance continues campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections.