Did White House Call JD Vance 'Dumb A**' After His Awkward Onstage Moment? Here's What Happened

Last Updated:July 10, 2026, 13:53 IST

During his speech in Milwaukee, Vance unveiled a picture that seemed to be of Markita Barnes, a Wisconsin woman who was convicted in March in connection with healthcare fraud

Looks like both US Vice President JD Vance and the White House share responsibility for two rather glaring mistakes.

Vance arrived in Milwaukee on Wednesday to deliver a speech endorsing the Trump-led administration’s crackdown on benefit fraud. Moments later, the Vice President unveiled a picture that seemed to be of Markita Barnes, a Wisconsin woman who was convicted in March in connection with healthcare fraud, according to the HuffPost. 

Little did Vance know that the moment would trigger an online spat. The venue’s lighting appeared to obscure the image that triggered an war of words between the White House’s Rapid Response 47 account and a US journalist.

Unaware of the gaffe, Vance continued his speech: “Now, I want to be clear that the woman in the back did nothing wrong. But look at this woman in the front with the smug look and the Louis Vuitton bag. A woman who quite literally stole from young mothers who needed prenatal care", as quoted by the HuffPost. 

Did White House Call Vance ‘Dumb A**’?

A controversy unfolded when Acyn Torabi –– a senior digital editor for MeidasTouch –– shared a snippet from Vance’s speech and flagged that the picture that he was displaying was obscured by light.

“Vance pointing to picture obscured by light: Look at this woman", he wrote.

True to its name, the White House Rapid Response was quick to respond. Posting on ‘X’, it wrote: “Your dumb ass is shielding a criminal who stole $2.4 million in taxpayer-funded benefits meant to help at-risk pregnant women and women with young kids."

The Rapid Response also shared a clear picture of the convict and said: “She’s spending the next decade in federal prison thanks to this Administration’s relentless work to end the fraud."

It should be noted that the White House targeted Torabi, claiming he had doctored the photo to criticise the Trump administration.

MeidasTouch defended its editor against the claim, saying: “Um… Do they think @Acyn blurred their faces? It was Vance who obscured her by placing the board the way he did. The White House essentially just called Vance a ‘dumb ass'".

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