'Racist piece of trash': JD Vance's attack backfires over 'Jose Padilla' gaffe

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Raw Story

June 20, 2025 7:52PM ET


The internet erupted Friday evening after Vice President JD Vance misidentified Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) during a news conference in Los Angeles. Vance's comments were in response to a question from a reporter asking for comment about the numerous instances where Democratic lawmakers have been detained or arrested by ICE agents at protests and in immigration courts. The reporter asked whether those instances are evidence of whether President Donald Trump's administration is "cracking down on Democrats."

"Well, I wish Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I think he decided not to show up because there wasn't a theatre," Vance retorted, referring to the instance when Padilla was handcuffed at a news conference held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Social media erupted following Vance's gaffe, with several people offering takedowns of the vice president. "Shocked that @JDVance acting like a smug little p---- would backfire on him," wrote Tommy Vietor, a former National Security Council member from the Obama administration, on X. "That's SENATOR Alex Padilla. As he clearly identified himself as at the moment in question," former Deputy White House Cabinet Secretary Dan Koh posted on X.

"JD Vance just referred to Senator Alex Padilla as 'Jose Padilla.' Vance is a racist piece of trash. What a disgusting thing to say," progressive political influencer Harry Sisson wrote on X. "Vance served in the Senate for several years with Alex Padilla. There's only 100 of them, so you'd think he'd remember his first name," another commentator posted on X.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-2672407717/

[Vogon_Glory]

1. It ought to. And I hope it opens some eyes

Vance’s crack is straight out of classic right-wing baiting, long-silent, now out in the open. Hopefully it will open some eyes where Latinos not only constitute a large percentage of the population, but a large percentage of the potential voting population.

Vance and his fellow R’s probably don’t have to worry about voter blowback in mostly Euro-American states like Ohio, West Virginia, Iowa, Missouri. and other reddening states. But states like Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and perhaps even Texas, where there are more potential Latino voters than Euro-American voters, making quips like that risk serious voter blowback.

By and large, Latino voters in Texas (the Red Redoubt) have chosen to ignore the strong streak of racism in MAGA Conservatism. They’ve either chosen to sit on the sidelines or even vote for Donald John. There’s no reassurance that their complacency will continue indefinitely if the fruits of MAGA Republicanism keeps getting rubbed in their faces.

That’s 40 electoral votes at stake.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. It was DELIBERATE

The internet needs to stop falling for this shit.

This is why I will die on this hill:

This is a Cultural War.

Go on offense.

We don't need the Party or Politicians to do this.

These Intolerable Acts occurring in These United States signal regime change.

The evil people who appreciated Jimbob Delroy's deliberate statement in the electorate - are your neighbors, co-workers, and family.

Smile in their face - but be ready to j'accuse and denounce when the Regime falls. Its the only way to eradicate that culture in America.

It's been 160 years. It's enough.

[wolfie001]

4. We need to hold OUR FAMILY MEMBERS accountable!

Do not celebrate ANYTHING with these vile hate-mongers! If you're in a shit trump house, then work and save to GET THE F^CK OUT!!! Cold shoulders, ignore, do not assist any of them. It's like you'd be assisting the nazis in WW2. Would you have helped the Gestapo in WW2? I think not. Same people only separated by 80 years. One lifespan away.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. In my father's lifetime

He was born into the Jim Crow formal regime in 1941 - Alabama.

It never went away.

Would you have made a lynching into a picnic?

That's an even better question. Because we saw their reaction to George Floyd.

[wolfie001]

9. Yes! Everyworld!

[Attilatheblond]

22. Always refer to Vance by his birth name, then 'AKA J.D. Vance'

If the government insists we go by our birth names, and go thru hoops if we took husband's surname, we should insist JD do same, and let him face explaining the name changes over and over again to 'officials'.

[Cha]

32. I Know, Rigth! It was NOT a "gaffe". The

slimy little bug crap wanted to throw out the Ugly Racist insults like the head Traitor.. Only it didn't seem to Go over well.

Oops.. such an ugly pig stye.

[wolfie001]

3. I think we'd all love to punch him in his fat smirking face

That slimy piece of sh7t.

[Figarosmom]

5. Not just the Jose bit was

Offensive but the indicating it was all political theater.

[Deuxcents]

6. While he's engaging in political theater!

[Figarosmom]

21. Yep

[Cha]

33. yeah, Gaslighting the Shit out of it. As Usual.

[bpj62]

7. Not an Accident

Jose Padila was convicted on attempted terrorism charges during the Bush Administration. JD Vance knows Alex Padilla as they served together in the Senate. This was both an attempt to nake him look like a domestic terrorist as well as a clear racial slur.
Sadly JD Vance doesn't care and he will not apologize.

[Paladin]

10. I sincerely hope that Vance suffers the same fate as other trump adherants.

I hope and pray that his political and personal life will be in utter ruins, like Giuliani and the Pillow Guy, among many other trump-suckers. Can't happen soon enough to suit me. What a filthy ruination this regime is.

[live love laugh]

11. Gaffe ... like his deep seated relationship with a seat 💺?

[oasis]

12. Jerk D. Vance could have said "Sen. Padilla"

Vance thinks he can slyly slip in a coded message to his fraternal circle of racists.

[joshdawg]

13. Yes, it was deliberate and

that's why couch fucker vance is nothing more than used shit paper.
Simply a racist bastard and he's proud of it.
His face is so, so, so punchable!

[Crowman2009]

20. I'm ahead of you in line since I was at Al-Asad, Iraq around the same time (and under the same Air Wing) he was.

I call dibs on the HQ squadron desk jockey!

[dlk]

14. The ignorant hillbilly remains

There’s just no putting lipstick on a pig, even with the finest education in the world..

[ProudMNDemocrat]

15. JD is a Catholic? I say, EXCOMMUNICATE the fucker!

If I were Pope Leo XIV. JD Vance is a pox on Catholics or anyone who follows the teachings of Jesus Christ. For JD Vance does not set the examples of Christ.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. He converted, almost 6 years ago.

J.D. Vance Used to Be an Atheist. What He Believes Now Is Telling.

He apparently is a religion "user" (for political purposes) versus an adherent.

This is why Pope Francis initially "ghosted" him and then later met with him right before he passed away.

[Crowman2009]

19. Not to mention that he married a Hindu, which I'm sure would be a definite no-no amongst his Opus Dei buddies.

[calimary]

29. Rather disturbing.

Preying upon the weak isn't what I ever learned that Catholics did.

ICK!

[Cha]

34. Oh yeah, Vance went to see Pope Francis

in Rome and Pope Francis Died the next day

Then he went back to the Papal Conclave to greet Pope Leo XIV.. Pope Leo kind of "brushed him and his wife aside", though.

Pope Leo XIV is too Savvy and Billiant to not know what Vance is.

[Clouds Passing]

16. This coming from a guy named Shady Pants?!

[cadoman]

18. racist trash statement from JD aside.. Jos Padilla's case is worth knowing about

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Padilla_(criminal)

[Skittles]

23. "gaffe"

sure, bro

[Deminpenn]

24. When referring to Vance, the words

"not his real name" should appear in parentheses after it. ex, Sen J D Vance (not his real name).

[Jilly_in_VA]

25. Gaffe, my sainted Aunt Matilda!

It was deliberate and he knows it, the little bastard phony hillbilly racist pig! On second thought, strike the "pig". Pigs are intelligent creatures that know better.

Has anybody thought to remind Shady that his wife is INDIAN and a PRACTICING HINDU?

[underpants]

26. JD is trash. He latched on to what he saw a white trash (sorry) to make money.

He’s a space filer. Worthless.

[IA8IT]

27. Reminds me of cool kids shit talk pops out on camera like Megyn Kelly intro for Mike Fuckabee

[Blue Owl]

28. What I don't get....

Is that he is married to a woman from India, and she hasn’t left him yet.

[Hekate]

30. A "gaffe" is inadvertent. THIS was DELIBERATE & RACIST. What is it they call JD's particular origins? White trash...

… isn’t it? Not a term I heard used when I was growing up — but then, we may have been white and poor, but we sure as hell were not racist trash.

[enigmania]

31. Yeah. Billy Bob Jimbo Hucklebuck

is so superior.

[Canada Kid]

35. Unjustified votes

This racist BS is why I am confused as to why the Latino community showed up at Trump rallies and then voted for him. Trump, Vance, and a whole slew of Republicans have made racism a backbone of the party platform, starting with redrawing voting regions, creating difficult voting conditions for people of color, creating blocks toward health, education, and social services in their states. Pandering to his white trash far-right Christian buddies is what Vance is all about.