Kathrine Frich
Vance aimed a sarcastic joke at the former president.
Political rivalries usually take a back seat during moments of national mourning.
Leaders gather to set aside their differences and honor shared tragedies.
But sometimes the temptation to take a jab proves too strong to resist.
Taking the podium
JD Vance stepped up to the White House briefing room on Thursday. According to People magazine, the vice president laid out travel plans for the upcoming September 11 memorial services.
The administration decided to split up their top officials. President Donald Trump will stay in Washington to honor the victims at the Pentagon.
Vance explained the logic to reporters. “You have a vice president, you have a president [and] we’d like to be in three or four places on 9/11, but you can’t have one person be in multiple locations at the exact same time,” Vance said, as reported by People. “And so we just decided as a team that I would go to New York.”
A pointed remark
Vance expressed gratitude for his assignment. “I will say that as much as it’s tragic and it was a terrible day, I am looking forward to it because it’s such an amazing honor to be able to get to go to New York and to share in that moment,” he said.
The solemn tone shifted when Vance mentioned the guest list. Former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Joe Biden are all slated to attend the New York ceremony.
Vance then aimed a sarcastic joke at the former president. “I’m really looking forward to hang out with Joe Biden. I’m sure that we’ll have many, many intense intellectual conversations,” Vance remarked.
Ongoing health battles
The comment raised eyebrows because of Biden’s severe health struggles. The 83-year-old announced a diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer in May 2025.
Vance has previously targeted Biden over his physical condition. Time magazine reported that Vance questioned Biden’s fitness shortly after the diagnosis became public. “I don’t think he was able to do a good job for the American people,” Vance told reporters last year.
Later, Vance made a much blunter comment during an appearance with Sean Hannity. “But if I served under Joe Biden, I’d probably be worried every minute of every day that he was going to croak and that I’d have to become president,” he stated.
Sources: People, Time
