Kathrine Frich
Vance wore a long silver-gray wig, a matching pointed hat, and a shiny silver metallic robe.
A family photo on the front porch is a classic holiday tradition.
Parents spend hours matching outfits and getting everyone to stand still for a single snapshot.
Posting that proud picture online, however, can quickly invite a wave of brutal jokes instead of applause.
Magic gone wrong
Vice President JD Vance ran straight into that buzzsaw over the weekend after sharing a Halloween photo on X from the porch of the Vice President’s Mansion in Washington, according to the Irish Star. Hoping to show off a Harry Potter theme, he became a viral punchline instead.
To play Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Vance wore a long silver-gray wig, a matching pointed hat, and a shiny silver metallic robe. In his arms, he cradled his baby son, Alec, who was dressed as Dobby the house-elf.
Beside him, Usha Vance put on a black witch’s hat while their other kids wore schoolboy robes, a spider suit, and a shiny blue-and-green dragon outfit. Before the holiday, the vice president admitted he felt right at home in the wizard gear.
“If you think about it, with the beard, the white hair, it’s kind of like fat, old JD, so I feel very comfortable in my Dumbledore costume,” Vance said ahead of the big day, as quoted by the Irish Star.
Roasted on X
Viewers on X were far less forgiving once the snapshot went live. Many mocked the vice president for wearing the “worst Halloween costume I’ve ever seen”, while one critic bluntly posted on X: “That’s the worst Dumbledore costume I’ve ever seen.”
That blinding metallic robe even left some people guessing the wrong movie series altogether. Another baffled user on X replied: “Thank you I was trying to figure out what Star Wars character he was.”
Critics also zoomed in on the children’s faces in the porch portrait. One viral X post joked: “The unhappiest looking children on Halloween ever.”
Years of wizard drama
Stepping into the wizarding world already comes with plenty of baggage after years of fierce debate around author J.K. Rowling. LGBTQ+ advocates have widely criticized her views on biological sex and youth gender policies as anti-transgender, while Rowling says her stance protects women’s spaces.
That uproar split the franchise’s stars, with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint speaking out for transgender rights while Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter defended the author against intense online attacks.
Fans have also organized boycotts of spin-offs like the Hogwarts Legacy video game, even as HBO keeps Rowling on as an executive producer for its upcoming television series. An now Vance might be the next worse thing to happen to the universe.
