During a rally in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) utilized a vulgar sex joke derived from a fabricated meme to mock his opponent, Senator JD Vance (R-OH), while serving as Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate.
“I can’t wait to debate the guy,” Walz said, to cheers. Then he added: “That is, if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up. You see what I did there?” he said, clearly aware of the joke.
Tim Walz on JD Vance:
“I can’t wait to debate the guy…that is if he’s willing to get off the *couch* and show up.” pic.twitter.com/ajaaQJpkhD
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) August 6, 2024
The ‘joke’ is in reference to a meme suggesting that Vance engaged in sexual activity with a couch, which is derived from a fabricated reference in his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.
Explaining the JD Vance couch meme pic.twitter.com/4ojamIDhYM
— Jack McGuire (@JackMacCFB) July 27, 2024
The meme circulated extensively among “progressives” seeking negative commentary on Vance. The creator of the original hoax informed Business Insider that the simplicity with which individuals accepted his fabricated citation “has not strengthened his confidence in the critical-thinking abilities of the electorate.” Walz, who was expected to introduce a sense of Midwest decency to the campaign, initiated his candidacy with an inappropriate sexual joke rooted in intentional misinformation.
