JD Vance's Bold Eyeliner In His Inaugural Portrait Has Everyone Losing It

Not wanting to be overshadowed by any lingering legacy, Donald Trump and JD Vance are gearing up for the January 20, 2025, inauguration in bombastic style. From a list of star performers ranging from The Village People to Carrie Underwood, things are ramping up to ensure quite the spectacle. In preparation for the big day, they've also released the inaugural portraits for both Trump and Vance. Published to Trump's personal website with a bizarre headline indicating they "go hard," social media was quick to bring back the Vance eyeliner theories.

Photo: J.D. Vance inaugural portrait. pic.twitter.com/QxIE0R5Sry

— AZ Intel (@AZ_Intel_) January 16, 2025

One user on X, formerly Twitter, posted a GIF of Gene Simmons in full KISS regalia, including the signature black eye makeup, captioning it, "All I can see," in regards to Vance's portrait. Another post aptly summed it up with, "His eyes look weird." 

Both JD and wife Usha Vance have pushed back against the rumors he uses eyeliner. However, the rumblings persist. In fact, there's been some pretty good parodies about not only JD's eyeliner, but also his sometimes off-putting public behavior. Yet, while his portrait seemingly did not go as "hard" as intended, JD was already in the hot seat for joking about skipping the inauguration entirely. 

Even though JD Vance has disappeared behind the scenes to get things ready for the incoming Trump administration, it seems his attention might be drawn elsewhere. As both a senator from Ohio and a graduate of Ohio State University, Vance is apparently torn between attending the inauguration and watching his alma mater play a pivotal football game against rivals Notre Dame. In a post on X, the incoming vice president even joked, "Hopefully everyone is cool with me skipping the inauguration so I can go to the national title game." Although, he did clarify on "Fox News Sunday" that it really, truly was all a joke. Well, maybe mostly a joke.

After clarifying that he will not be skipping the inauguration, Vance then quipped, "If you're watching this show and you have the power, I'd really like to watch the Buckeyes, and I don't want to be at the inaugural ball staring at my phone...So, let's move that game." Unfortunately for Vance, there's been no official word on postponing the game for him. Hopefully a parade featuring the Middletown High School marching band (where he graduated from before heading to Ohio State) will cheer him up.