You’ve seen the image. The wide, unblinking eyes. The slightly swollen-looking cheeks. And, most importantly, those chocolate-brown curls that look like they belong on a Victorian doll or maybe a very enthusiastic theater kid. It’s the "Fat JD" meme, and somehow, it’s become the most chaotic political costume of the mid-2020s.
Honestly, 2024 was already a weird year for Vice President JD Vance. Between the endless "couch" jokes (which, for the record, never actually happened in his book) and the rumors about his eyeliner, the internet was already working overtime. But by Halloween 2025, the meme reached its final, most meta form: Vance actually wore the costume himself.
The Night JD Vance Broke the Internet (Again)
Most politicians try to ignore the weird stuff people say about them online. Not this guy. On Halloween night 2025, Vance decided to lean so hard into the joke that it basically imploded. He posted a video from the Naval Observatory wearing a navy blazer, a red tie, and a curly wig that looked exactly like the viral caricature.
He didn't just stand there, either. He opened the door for trick-or-treaters and delivered a line that has since become a TikTok soundbite staple: "Happy Halloween, kids... and remember, say thank you!" Then, because things weren't weird enough, the video ended with a purple filter and the theme from The Twilight Zone while he spun in a circle.
It was bizarre. It was meta. It was, according to some people on X, "Meme Lord" behavior. Others? They were just confused why the Vice President was trolling himself.
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Where did the JD Vance meme come from?
If you're wondering why a curly wig is suddenly a political statement, you have to go back to February. During a meeting between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vance reportedly asked Zelenskyy if he had "ever said thank you once."
The internet did what the internet does.
Trolls took a still image of Vance, edited it to look "bloated," added the signature curls, and paired it with the "thank you" quote. It was meant to mock him for being aggressive or "weird," but like the Diet Mountain Dew joke before it, Vance decided to just own the brand.
Breaking down the JD Vance meme Halloween look
If you’re trying to recreate this for a party—or just to confuse your neighbors—you don’t actually need much. It’s a low-effort, high-impact DIY project.
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- The Wig: This is the dealbreaker. It has to be a shoulder-length, dark brown curly wig. Think "Little Orphan Annie" but in a dark chestnut color.
- The Suit: A standard navy blazer and a light blue dress shirt. Keep it professional so the wig looks even more ridiculous.
- The Prop: Carrying a Diet Mountain Dew is a nice touch. It references his viral rally comment where he joked that Democrats would call drinking the soda "racist."
- The Vibe: You have to keep your eyes very wide. If you aren't looking slightly startled by your own existence, you aren't doing it right.
Why people are still dressing as the couch
We have to talk about the elephant—or the sofa—in the room. Even though the "couch meme" was debunked by almost every fact-checker on the planet (the Associated Press even deleted a fact-check because the rumor was so baseless it didn't meet their "standard editing process"), it won't die.
In 2024, "Couch Vance" was everywhere. People were literally cutting holes in loveseats or wearing cardboard boxes shaped like sofas. By 2025, it had evolved into a "couples costume" where one person is JD and the other is an IKEA catalog.
Is it fair? No. Is it factually accurate? Absolutely not. But Halloween has never been about the truth; it’s about what’s funny on social media for twelve hours.
The Eyeliner Controversy: Costume or Coincidence?
Then there's the eyeliner. For months, people have been zooming in on Vance’s lash line, convinced he’s wearing "men's guyliner." He hasn't addressed it, but the "Eyeliner JD" costume became a massive trend in late 2025, specifically driven by AI-generated videos out of China that showed him in full glam.
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If you’re going for the 2026 version of this look, a heavy hand with the Sephora waterproof liner is basically mandatory. It adds that "uncanny valley" layer that makes the costume truly unsettling.
Is dressing as a politician "cringe" now?
There’s a real debate about this. Some people think dressing as a sitting Vice President is just good satire. Others feel like it’s "killing the meme."
When Vance wore the wig himself, a lot of people on TikTok complained that he "ruined" the joke. There’s a specific rule on the internet: once the person being mocked starts laughing too, the trolls usually move on to something else. By "owning" the Fat JD persona, Vance basically took the weapon out of the hands of his critics.
Still, for anyone looking for a conversation starter, the JD Vance meme Halloween ensemble is a guaranteed way to get a reaction. Just be prepared for half the room to laugh and the other half to start a political debate over the punch bowl.
Tips for your JD Vance costume:
- Don't overspend. This is a thrift store costume. The more "off" the wig looks, the better.
- Practice the spin. If you're going to do the Twilight Zone bit, you need to be able to spin without knocking over your drink.
- Stay in character. The "Say thank you" line is the only one you need. Use it for everything. Someone hands you a beer? "Say thank you." You get a kit-kat? "Say thank you."
If you really want to commit to the bit, try carrying around a printed-out fact check from the AP. It adds a layer of intellectual irony that people who spend too much time on political Twitter will deeply appreciate. Or they'll hate it. Either way, you'll be the center of attention.
To get the look exactly right, your first step is heading to a costume shop for a "colonial man" or "Victorian lady" wig and brushing the curls out until they look sufficiently chaotic.