Overview
- The vice president posted a selfie and a short video from the Naval Observatory wearing a curly wig, saying, “Happy Halloween… remember to say thank you,” before spinning to The Twilight Zone theme.
- The costume explicitly nodded to the meme born from Vance’s tense February White House moment with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, which popularized the “you didn’t say thank you” trope.
- The White House’s official X account amplified the gag with a repost and earlier mock “costume package” imagery that joked a JD Vance costume “does not include the fat JD curly hair.”
- Engagement surged within hours, with the video reported at roughly 14–15 million views and hundreds of thousands of likes, and Vance‑related images surpassing 30 million views on X.
- A fresh wave of remixes and AI edits followed across platforms, while GOP figures such as the RNC’s Gates McGavick and commentator Benny Johnson praised the move as deft political messaging.