A video of JD Vance laughing during Vice President Kamala Harris’s swearing-in of new U.S. senators has quickly gone viral. The moment, which captured Vance’s reaction as Harris read the oath, coincided with a minor slip-up by Harris during the Pledge of Allegiance. The video shows Vance, smiling and laughing while quietly speaking to someone, as the senators raise their hands to take the oath.
The clip quickly spread across the internet, with some speculating about what Vance might have said, while others suggested he could have been rehearsing for his own future role as Vice President. Despite the attention, Vance later clapped to show there was no ill intent.
JD Vance is all smiles as Kamala Harris swears in new US Senators 😂 pic.twitter.com/6JTeWsiSRA
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) January 3, 2025
The video sparked a mix of reactions, with some joking about Vance replacing Harris, while others defended her leadership. Shortly after the ceremony, Vance, the Vice President-elect, underwent minor sinus surgery at George Washington Hospital, with a spokesperson confirming that it was a scheduled procedure and that he would return to work the following day.
Meanwhile, Harris faced some criticism online after mistakenly fumbling the Pledge of Allegiance during the Senate’s opening day. As she led the senators in the pledge, she briefly said, “I pledge allegiance to the United States” before quickly correcting herself. The slip-up quickly went viral, with many online mocking the gaffe.
