The Trump camp has remained relatively mum after an apparent photo of vice presidential candidate JD Vance donned in drag during his Yale days resurfaced.
Dressed in what appears to be a blonde wig, black fitted tee, and floral maxi skirt, Vance opted for heavy eyeliner in the viral photo making the rounds on X.
Fellow Yale classmate Travis Whitfill told the Daily Beast a friend sent him the photo of Vance. Whitfill then sent the picture to podcast host Matt Bernstein, who in turn posted it on social media over the weekend.
"It's from a group chat of Vance's fellow classmates and is from a friend of a friend," he told the outlet Monday. "I believe it was grabbed from Facebook and was taken at a Halloween party."
new: i have obtained a photo of jd vance in drag while at yale law school pic.twitter.com/jYf14Lwa4D
— matt (@mattxiv) August 11, 2024
A spokesperson did not deny the authenticity of the photo, according to the Beast.
"I didn't know him," Whitfill clarified to the outlet, "from all the sources I've heard, JD was actually a good guy in law school. Not sure what happened after though..."
On Monday, a second, close-up shot of what appears to be Vance in drag from the same event seemed to gain traction online.
Despite the seemingly trans getup, Vance has been criticized for his "cruel record" on LGBTQ policies.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, the Ohio senator has "a history of spewing anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol" and said he "strongly disagreed" that sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Dara Adkison, executive director of trans rights group TransOhio, said, "Vance is a hateful, cruel man who would love to hurt trans kids. He places himself as an authority between doctors, parents and the trans youth. We need legislators with enthusiasm to help their constituents, not venom to harm children," according to NBC News.
