Politics is basically a visual medium now. Honestly, if you aren't looking at the screen, you're missing half the argument. Since he joined the Trump ticket and eventually became Vice President, the sheer volume of images of JD Vance flooding our feeds has been staggering. Some are polished, high-definition campaign shots. Others are grainy, awkward relics from a Yale Law School past that he’d probably rather forget.
You've seen the memes. You've seen the "eyeliner" debates. You've definitely seen the beard that launched a thousand think pieces. But what’s actually going on behind these photos?
The Eyeliner Mystery: Genes or Glossier?
Let's address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the "smoky eye" in the room. For the last couple of years, social media has been obsessed with the idea that Vance wears guyliner. It started during the 2024 debates. People noticed his lower lash line looked incredibly dark, almost like he’d just come from a My Chemical Romance concert.
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"Vance 100% does wear eyeliner," photojournalist Zach D. Roberts tweeted after photographing him up close. But is that actually true?
His wife, Usha Vance, finally got tired of the noise. She told Puck News that his lashes are "all natural" and that she’s actually been jealous of them for years. Experts, like makeup artist Luna Viola, have pointed out that a condition called distichiasis—having a double row of eyelashes—can create a natural "liner" effect. It’s the same thing Elizabeth Taylor had. Whether it's nature or a very subtle dark brown pencil, the visual has become a permanent part of his brand.
The Great Halloween Pivot of 2025
Politicians usually run away from unflattering memes. Vance did the opposite. Remember the "Fat JD with curly hair" meme? It was a digitally altered photo with exaggerated features that critics used to mock him after a tense exchange with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Instead of suing or ignoring it, Vance posted a video on Instagram for Halloween 2025. He literally wore a curly brown wig and leaned into the joke. It was a calculated move. By dressing up as the meme of himself, he basically defanged his critics. The video racked up over 14 million views. It’s a classic Silicon Valley tactic: if you can't stop the signal, become the signal.
The Wardrobe Wars and "Menswear Guy"
Then there’s the clothing. Images of JD Vance often feature suits that look, well, a little uncomfortable. Derek Guy, the viral "Menswear Guy" on X, has made a sport out of roasting Vance’s high-sitting jackets and tight collars.
The feud got weirdly personal in mid-2025. Guy, who is an undocumented immigrant who came to the US from Vietnam as a baby, shared his story to humanize the immigration debate. Vance responded with a nodding Jack Nicholson GIF. Most people saw it as a subtle deportation threat. It was a moment where a simple fashion critique turned into a high-stakes political skirmish. It also highlighted a shift in Vance's image—from the "Hillbilly Elegy" author in flannel to a Vice President who uses his appearance to signal hardline "law and order" vibes.
Why the Beard Matters
If you look at old images of JD Vance from his 2016 TED Talk days, he looks like a completely different person. He was clean-shaven, wore thin-rimmed glasses, and looked like a standard venture capital guy.
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The beard changed everything.
It was a deliberate choice to look more "populist." Donald Trump famously isn't a fan of facial hair, but he reportedly made an exception for Vance because he thought it made him look like a "young Abraham Lincoln." It’s an interesting bit of branding. The beard bridges the gap between the Yale-educated elite and the working-class voters in Middletown, Ohio.
Modern Visual Power Plays
Just recently, in early 2026, Vance has been using photography to position himself for the 2028 cycle. During a Vanity Fair shoot, he reportedly joked to the photographer, “I’ll give you $100 for every person you make look really s***ty compared to me.”
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He even offered $1,000 if that person was Marco Rubio.
When the photos came out, Rubio looked hunched and dejected in several frames. Vance’s team immediately capitalized on it. This isn't just vanity; it's a visual hierarchy. In an administration where "absolute fealty" is the currency, looking more "presidential" than your rivals is a survival skill.
How to Authenticate What You See
With the rise of Grok and other AI tools, spotting real images of JD Vance is getting harder. We've seen AI-generated shots of him in situations that never happened. Here is how you can stay sharp:
- Check the source: Official Getty Images or AP Photo watermarks are still the gold standard.
- Look at the hands: AI still struggles with fingers. If Vance has six fingers in a rally photo, it’s fake.
- Verify the context: If a photo shows him in a place he hasn't visited—like the recent fake images of him at a "neofeudal" colony in Greenland—cross-reference it with his official schedule.
Images aren't just pictures anymore; they're arguments. Whether it's the natural lashes, the tactical beard, or the viral Halloween wigs, JD Vance knows how to stay in the frame.
To get the most accurate sense of his current public image, you should compare his official White House portraits with candid press photography from recent 2026 town halls. Pay close attention to how his style changes depending on whether he is speaking to Silicon Valley donors or "law and order" rallies in North Carolina.