Former Beauty Contestant Criticizes JD Vance for Using Embarrassing Video

A former Miss Teen USA contestant, Caitlin Upton, who faced significant mockery for a botched answer during the 2007 Miss Teen USA competition, has expressed her disappointment and condemned online bullying after JD Vance used her embarrassing moment to attack Kamala Harris. Despite the backlash, Vance has refused to apologize to Upton, who has previously shared that the ridicule led her to contemplate suicide.

In 2007, Upton, then an 18-year-old representing South Carolina, became infamous when actor and contest judge Aimee Teegarden asked her why she believed an estimated 20% of Americans couldn’t locate their country on a world map. Upton’s response was incoherent and perplexing: “I personally believe that US Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps. And, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the US should help the US, uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries – so we will be able to build up our future.”

The reaction was swift and brutal, especially online. Publications like Salon even published pieces labeling her as a national embarrassment. By 2015, Upton revealed to New York magazine that she faced intense harassment, including taunts from a college baseball team and a hateful note urging her to “go die for [her] stupidity.” This bullying led her into depression and suicidal thoughts, but support from her family and loved ones helped her overcome the ordeal.

In recent years, Upton has built a new life as a real estate agent and a mother of two. She also reportedly supported Donald Trump’s presidency and echoed his unfounded claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Despite having faded from the public eye, Vance’s post thrust her back into the spotlight, coinciding with Kamala Harris’s appearance on CNN for her first network interview as the Democratic presidential nominee.

Vance’s X account republished the video clip of Upton’s embarrassing 2007 moment with the caption, “BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.” Upton made it clear she was not pleased with Vance’s actions, stating on X that it was “a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up.” She emphasized that “Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying still needs to stop.” She later deleted her account from the social media platform.

During a Friday appearance on CNN, Vance dismissed the video of Upton, referring to it as “a 20-year-old meme” and suggesting she “laugh it off.” He remarked, “Politics has got way too lame. You can have some fun while making an argument to the American people about improving their lives. I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke – but I wish the best for Caitlin and hope she’s doing well.”

This incident adds to the controversies surrounding Vance’s campaign, as recent polls show Trump trailing Harris. Vance has faced considerable backlash for his past comments about women and their roles in society. He has derisively referred to Democratic leaders as “childless cat ladies” and criticized a teachers union president for not having “her own” children. Additionally, the Guardian revealed that Vance had given a podcast interview in 2021, during which he argued that professional women had chosen “a path to misery” by prioritizing their careers over having children.

Source: The Guardian, Salon, New York Magazine