People have brutal responses to JD Vance’s ‘gay wizard’ Halloween costume
JD Vance has been mocked online for dressing up as a ‘gay wizard’ for Halloween (Getty Images)
US vice president J.D. Vance has been mocked online after posting a Halloween video of himself dressed as Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter, a character described as canonically gay.
The clip, uploaded on Saturday (31 October), shows Vance in costume holding his baby son, who is dressed as Dobby the house-elf. Vance says in the video: “Vice President Dumbledore here with little Dobby the Elf wishing you a Happy Halloween. Have fun. Be safe. Eat a lot of candy.”
Vance’s costume included a silver robe and a long grey wig, while his baby’s Dobby outfit featured knitted ears.
The comments reported on the clip: ‘This dude will never be president’
Many people on social media were still quick to point out how amusing it is for Vance to dress as a queer character, considering his past comments about the LGBTQ+ community.
“Is he Dumbledore? The gay wizard? What does this mean chat,” one response to Vance’s post said.
“You know Dumbledore was gay, right?” said another.
Many people also highlighted that it seemed as though the vice president was taking part in drag, something the Trump administration has heavily targeted over the years.
“A drag queen?? In front of children?? Arrest this man!!” one person wrote on X.
“We thought you had an issue with men wearing dresses?” said another.
Why Dumbledore being described as gay is part of the reaction
The moment has been framed through queer pop culture because Dumbledore has long been discussed as a gay character. J.K. Rowling confirmed that Dumbledore is canonically gay in 2007 after the final main-series book was published.
Rowling remains a lightning-rod figure in LGBTQ+ conversations around the Harry Potter franchise due to her gender critical views, with several stars of the films publicly distancing themselves from her.
Vance is a high-visibility Republican figure who rose to national prominence with his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, and his personal and family moments frequently become meme-driven flashpoints online. When Donald Trump announced him as his running mate in July 2024, coverage at the time looked at what the then-Ohio senator had said about LGBTQ+ rights.
