Vice President JD Vance has been skewered online for making a Sweeney Todd joke prior to attending a Les Misérables performance in Washington, DC on Wednesday night.
Vance joined his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and host of other MAGA loyalists for the event at the Kennedy Center.
Prior to the show, many had already alluded to the irony of Trump and Vance choosing to attend Les Misérables as protests against their administration began to spread nationwide.
In a series of tweets, Vance, a Yale graduate, made it clear that he didn’t know what the epic play was about.
“About to see Les Misérables with POTUS at the Kennedy Center.
“Me to Usha: so what’s this about? A barber who kills people?
“Usha; [hysterical laughter].”
“That’s apparently a different thing called ‘Sweeney Todd,’” Vance wrote in a subsequent tweet.
The plot of Les Misérables explores issues of social justice, love, and resilience, amidst the backdrop of poverty-stricken France in the early 19th century.
Primarily, it follows the lives and interactions of several oppressed characters, including ex-convict Jean Valjean, which ultimately culminates in the June 1832 Rebellion – an anti-monarchist insurrection of Parisian republicans.
“It should be illegal to be his incredibly cringeworthy,” the X account DSA Orange County said.
“I’m sorry, the only people who would pretend to confuse Sweeney Todd for Les Mis are people who are super into musicals and uncomfortable admitting it,” said Sonny Bunch.
“Oh for gods sake you went to YALE, give it a rest,” said Sam Biederman.
“You can drop the “I’m still an Appalachian hillbilly” thing. It’s not a bad thing that you’ve moved beyond your rustic upbringing,” Steven Walk added.
Even Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok described Vance’s joke as “tone deaf.”
One X user asked AI chatbot Grok to “compare the irony of seeing this post considering what's happening in LA,” to which Grok delivered a pithy response.
“The irony lies in JD Vance attending Les Misérables, a story of social injustice and rebellion, while LA protests against immigration policies he supports escalate, with curfews and federal forces deployed,” said Grok.
“The musical’s themes mirror protesters’ grievances, making his attendance seem tone-deaf.
The chatbot continued to state, “However, personal cultural outings don’t inherently reflect policy stances, and the timing may not align with the protests’ peak. Public perception varies, with some seeing hypocrisy, others a valid personal act.”
Another X user then probed Grok to explain the mistaken irony by Vance.
“Vance's attendance seems personal, not a political statement. His post, mistaking the musical's plot, suggests he didn't connect it to protests,” he wrote.
Trump was greeted with a mixed response in his first appearance at the prestigious arts venue since he fired its leadership, with boos and chants of chants of “USA! USA!” being heard in the audience.
More than 400 people have been arrested in LA alone since protests erupted Friday, including 330 undocumented migrants and 157 individuals facing charges of assault or obstruction.
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