J.D. Vance appeared as Albus Dumbledore for Halloween, and his youngest son Alec was dressed as the house spirit Dobby. The US Vice President posted a short video in which he holds the baby in his arms, wears a long gray wig and robe and addresses viewers with the words: “Vice President Dumbledore is here with little Dobby the Elf. I wish you a happy Halloween. Have fun, be safe and eat lots of candy.“
Alec was born in July and is the fourth child of J.D. and Usha Vance. The family has chosen a common theme from the world of “Harry Potter“. Usha Vance is pictured wearing a Sorting Hat costume, while their eldest son Ewan is dressed as Harry Potter. The other two children, Vivek and Mirabelle, are wearing spider and dragon costumes.
Social media mockery and defense
The post sparked mixed reactions on social media. Some users took aim at Vance's appearance and political ambitions. "This guy will never be president," one wrote. Another said the vice president "continues to hit new lows."
Some comments also recalled older photos of Vance wearing a wig, including one from his college days. However, other users defended the video, saying he was simply spending the holiday with his child. "Do you know how many American fathers do exactly that?" Because they are fathers“, wrote one of his defenders.
Some of the reactions were not directed at politics, but at little Alec. “Outside of politics, this baby is incredibly cute“, says one of the comments.
The costume comes amid pre-election criticism
Vance's appearance as Dumbledore comes days before the US midterm elections, at a time when Republicans face the risk of losing positions in both houses of Congress, according to pre-election forecasts cited in the publication.
The vice president was also criticized after participating in a CNN meeting in Ohio. While answering a question about the rising cost of housing and its affordability, he began counting how many questions he had received, then joked about a topic related to Republican Senate candidate John Husted. Vance, however, said that the Republican Party does not pay enough attention to the financial difficulties of young people, presenting himself as an exception.
Alec is the fourth child of J.D. and Usha Vance, after a decision they initially made because of the workload of public life. In his memoirs “Communion“ Vance wrote that after the death of his close friend Charlie Kirk, something changed for Usha. According to the publication, Alec's birth is the first such event in the family of a sitting US vice president since 1870.
Sources: dailymail.com, independent.co.uk