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JD Vance Underage Simps Group Chat Rumor depicting an alleged screenshot of the conversation.

J.D. Vance Underage "Simps" Group Chat Rumor

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Updated Jul 17, 2024 at 03:44PM EDT by Zach.

Added Jul 17, 2024 at 10:03AM EDT by Aidan Walker.

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Overview

J.D. Vance Underage "Simps" Group Chat Rumor refers to speculation based on purported screenshots that Ohio Senator and Vice Presidential candidate J. D. Vance was a member of right-wing activist group chats on X / Twitter, which supposedly included minors. Allegedly, Vance actively participated in the group chats alongside Blake Masters, another 2022 U.S. Senate candidate who, like Vance, was funded by billionaire investor and tech mogul Peter Thiel. Users claiming to have been participants in the group chats shared screenshots in which Vance allegedly used internet culture references and memes.

Background

An April 4th, 2024, post on X by user @Mangolith discussing the group chats saw somewhat broad circulation, receiving over 2,300 likes in three months.[1] The post, which is the earliest known example, specifically mentions J. D. Vance and claims that it's an "open secret" that he and other Republican senators message "high schoolers" on the platform to discuss politics (shown below).


mango @Mangolith So weird how it's just an open secret that sitting Republican senators (VANCE) just DM with high schoolers on this app about politics like where are the adults in this situation 12:48 PM Apr 4, 2024 438.7K Views 11 319 2.3K ☐ 186 ]

A purported screenshot (seen below) of message exchanges in which Vance allegedly appeared to call a member of the chat (@CalebBurdett18) a "simp" was then posted on July 15th by X user @souljagoitellem, receiving over 2,800 likes in two days (seen below, authenticity unconfirmed).[2]


Caleb Burdett @C... 11h I'm politely asking @kleavittnh to follow me back. twitter.com/calebburdett18... Yo Akron caleb is thirsty 9 J.D. Vance +7:22 AM Caleb, it is so over napoleon complex sufferer 7:23 AM Just practicing my cool kid lingo with the simps chat 7 J.D. Vance 7:23 AM

A LinkedIn profile appears to show that Caleb Burdett is currently a policy analyst at the America First Policy Institute and graduated from the University of Akron in 2022, while his X profile notes that he is 26, indicating that he was not a minor at the time that J.D. Vance purportedly accused him of being "thirsty."[3]

The group chats allegedly date back to 2021 or 2022 during Vance's Senate campaign, according to a purported participant who speculated (seen below) that it was "like three years ago" on X in the spring of 2024.[7] Other alleged participants claimed that there were no high schoolers in the group chat (example seen below).


Michael @MichaelShinkar - Apr 4 Tbh I replied while at the doctor's and didn't provide additional clarification. I was added to a lot of these chats while I was underage and finishing my junior year of hs, but I was actually added to what would become the Vance groupchat later on when I was a senior, ill 5.3K Michael @MichaelShinkar Apr 4 And probably over 18, though I don't remember the exact dates as it was like 3 years ago. Also worth noting that Vance was added without his asking midway through the groupchat's existence, and was not in it the entire time 27 6 ılı 3.8K

Online Reactions

Following the July 15th, 2024, announcement of J. D. Vance as Donald Trump's Vice Presidential running mate on the 2024 ticket, the group chat story and rumors saw renewed viral spread online. For example, on July 15th, political scientist Joshua A. Cohen (@ettingermentum on X) received over 3,700 likes in two days for sharing the screenshot of the group chat, questioning why Vance used the term "simps" (seen below).[4]


ettingermentum @ettingermentum. Jul 15 Why did Senator Vance refer to a group chat with children in it as "the simps chat"? о Caleb Burdett @C... 11h I'm politely asking @kleavittnh to follow me back. twitter.com/calebburdett18... Yo Akron caleb is thirsty 6 36 9 J.D. Vance ·7:22 AM Caleb, it is so over napoleon complex sufferer 7:23 AM Just practicing my cool kid lingo with the simps chat 7 J.D. Vance ·7:23 AM 414 3.7K Il 162K 1

Meme makers also took the opportunity to joke about Vance's rumored involvement with very online and young people in the conservative movement. For example, on July 16th, X user @skunkgender compared Vance to Drake, repeating frequent allegations that the Canadian musical artist groomed minors, receiving 400 views and 20 likes in less than a day.[5]


skyler @skunkgender jd vance in election twitter group chats Nicolas_Dream @afraidofwasps Drake (texting): What's yo favorite Crayola color *** Millie Bobby Brown: Wild Watermelon Drake: Damn they just letting anything be a crayon these days huh. Hahaaa. Hard for a guy like me to keep up 10:27 AM Jul 16, 2024 384 Views 272 20 Σ ↑

On the thread on which the group chat was discussed, a Washington Post reporter replied and asked if anyone could share further information about the content of the group chats (seen below), leading to speculation and jokes about possible mainstream coverage of the topic.[6]


Nicole Markus @nicolejmarkus ⚫ Jul 15 Hi Michael! My name is Nicole, I'm a reporter with The Washington Post. I'm looking into this and was wondering if you had any more information about the groupchat you'd like to share. Feel free to reach out to me by DM or email nicole.markus@washpost.com 15 1790 Cosmonaut Star @Solidarity_Star Lmao this app makes the world turn 5:39 PM · Jul 15, 2024 11.8K Views • 27 918 Ilil 160K 165 ☐ 2 Σ

Various Reactions


Chris Olley @chrisoIIey • Jul 15 Are the JD Vance group chat logs subject to FOIA now So weird how it's just an open secret that sitting Republican senators (VANCE) just DM with high schoolers on this app about politics like where are the adults in this situation 7207 1.3K 252K Michael T. Foster @realmfos... 04 Apr: Replying to @Mangolith I was admin of this gc. There were no high schoolers lol. Most of the participants were 20-somethings who worked in politics or media and Vance would occasionally pop in to update us on his campaign, thank us for our support, answer questions, or clown one of us, like in the Show more 6 179 30 45.1K ធ mango @Mangolith - 04 Apr Replying to @realmfoster Participants in the very GC are mentioning 17 year olds lol, unless they were dropouts you did have high schoolers there. ... mango @Mangolith • Apr 4 JD Vance group chat admin can't determine if there were minors in it. Sounds like these kids were under good supervision Michael @MichaelShinkar Читать Neither Vance nor Masters ever hit on people in the groupchat or were weird to anyone iirc. I was in these chats and underage at the time and all of the actual politicians there acted super normally. Michael T. Foster @realmfoster Apr 4 Replying to @Mangolith I was admin of this gc. There were no high schoolers lol. Most of the participants were 20-somethings who worked in politics or media and Vance would occasionally pop in to update us on his campaign, thank us for our support, answer questions, or clown one of us, like in the 5 1782 590 ill 73K sophie @netcapgirl Jul 15 hearing that jd vance is in schizo groupchats on here: One of us! One of us! 14 14 459 ill 35K

EPSTEIN SAYS ONLY ONE PERSON HAS OUT GROOMED HIM the prince with a thousand enemies σ @jaketropolis July 15th: Donald Trump announces JD Vance as VP pick. July 16th: The last 11 years of his twitter usage is screened by the public. July 17th: "Why Is JD Vance In So Many Group Chats With Minors?" asks the New York Times 5:10 PM Jul 15, 2024 14.6K Views 1 1761 640 ☐ 15 ↑ <] mango @Mangolith Apr 4 So weird how it's just an open secret that sitting Republican senators (VANCE) just DM with high schoolers on this app about politics like where are the adults in this situation 11 319 2.3K ılı 438K Michael T. Foster @realmfoster I was admin of this gc. There were no high schoolers lol. Most of the participants were 20-somethings who worked in politics or media and Vance would occasionally pop in to update us on his campaign, thank us for our support, answer questions, or clown one of us, like in the screenshot that's circulating. All this proves is that he's a cool and down- to-earth guy who cares about engaging with young conservatives. 7:28 PM Apr 4, 2024 • 146.4K Views 18 1721 87 ☐ 25 ↑ <]


Search Interest

External References

[1] X – @Mangolith

[2] X – @souljagoitellem

[3] LinkedIn – Caleb Burdett

[4] X – @ettingermentum

[5] X – @skunkgender

[6] X – @Solidarity_Star

[7] X – @realmfoster

Related Entries 4 total

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