Vice President JD Vance has appeared more reserved on social media lately, and a new report suggests the reason may be his decision to delete the X app from his phone for Lent. Semafor Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith wrote in an op-ed that two sources close to Vance confirmed the vice president removed the app during the Lenten period. However, Vance did post on X between February 18 and April 2, indicating his social media fast allowed him to post from his computer. Now that Lent has ended, Vance has not returned to his previous pattern of posting controversial comments on X.
Allies Uncertain About Shift
According to Smith, Vance’s allies are unsure what has driven the sudden change in his famously provocative online persona. Some speculate that the vice president is keeping a lower profile ahead of the launch of his new book in June. Vance’s book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, is set to be released on June 16 by HarperCollins. The publisher describes it as “an intimate account of why he strayed from the Christianity of his youth and what led him back to faith.”
Past Controversial Posts
In the past, Vance has shown no hesitation in using personal insults on social media. He called Pod Save America host Jon Favreau a “dips***” after Favreau called him an “unreliable” source of information following a shooting at a Texas ICE facility. “The gunman had anti-ICE messaging carved on the bullets he used. What, precisely, did I get wrong, dips***?” Vance wrote. In January, he compared Senator Tammy Duckworth—a veteran who lost both legs in combat—to Forrest Gump. “Watching Tammy Duckworth obsessively interrupt Marco Rubio during this hearing is like watching Forrest Gump argue with Isaac Newton,” he posted.
Political Ambitions and Polling
Vance’s toned-down social media presence may also be influenced by his political ambitions. The 41-year-old is widely considered the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028. With midterms approaching, he has about a year before he must seriously begin his presidential campaign. However, recent polling suggests he may need to start early. A YouGov poll shows Vance’s popularity at just 31 percent—two points lower than President Trump’s—with 52 percent of respondents holding a negative view of the vice president.
Vance’s trip to Hungary to support Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ultimately unsuccessful re-election campaign has not helped his image. CNN data guru Harry Enten noted that at the time of the trip, 58 percent of Americans believed the Trump administration was “too focused” on international matters. “JD Vance going and campaigning for the prime minister of another country that is pretty far away from here is just part of a larger picture that the American people dislike,” Enten said. He added that Vance is the most unpopular vice president in U.S. history compared to others at the same point in their terms, with an approval rating of -18 points. “JD Vance started off his vice presidency in plus territory, and now he is in negative territory. Down he goes. JD Vance getting dragged down, along with the president of the United States,” Enten concluded.
