JD Vance was humiliated after speaking in empty stadium for major Turning Point USA event.
JD Vance Posted a Reel About His Georgia Campus Tour and Forgot to Mention the Arena Was 75 Percent Empty
Vice President JD Vance traveled to Pakistan in an attempt to broker a deal amid escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and the U.S.
But he returned without a deal, as tensions between the U.S. and Iran showed no sign of easing. After that, Vance went to Athens, Georgia, for a campus tour set up by Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk.
But, instead of displaying the vibrant enthusiasm that the group used to bring President Donald Trump back to the White House two years ago, this time, there were fewer people, an almost vacant venue, uncomfortable inquiries, and sharp criticism.
Amid that, Vance has shared a reel on X highlighting his trip to the campus, but he missed a glaring error. According to reports, Vance faced mockery online over the omission in his video
Only 25% of seats were filled at the venue during JD Vance's visit and speech.
Taking to X, Vance urged students to never give up, as they are masters of their destiny. He wrote, "You are the master of your own destiny. Never give up on yourself and never believe that you’re a victim of circumstances...no matter what hand you were dealt, you have the responsibility to play as well as you can.”
JD Vance's controversial video
The reel, shared by him, highlighted his journey to the University of Georgia. The video had the voiceover of his speech at the event, which includes the quote highlighted in his post. However, according to The Daily Beast, his video concealed the truth about the low turnout. One reporter also informed that the Athens Akins Ford Arena was less than 25 percent occupied.
The Georgia event also attracted the attention of U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. During his campaign rally in Augusta, the Senator took a jab at the low attendance and said, “I don’t know if you saw, but J.D. Vance was in Georgia this week. Don’t worry—no one showed up. The stadium was empty".
JD Vance's reel from the Georgia event.
Ossoff also weighed in on Vance's recent clash with the Vatican over remarks about Pope Leo XIV in which Vance said that the pope should “be careful” while talking about theology, according to NBC News. He said, "Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated Holocaust camps and liberated those, those innocent people, you know, those who had survived the Holocaust? I certainly think the answer is yes."
Only 1200 people attended the event
The Daily Beast reported that a professor at the University of North Georgia said approximately 1,200 people attended the event when the venue has a capacity of more than 8,000 people. He wrote on X, “The student section on the floor was 1,000 chairs and they didn’t fill - maybe 900 and the others were definitely no more than 300.”
Vance's visit also drew protests outside the arena, with demonstrators criticizing the administration's immigration and foreign policy decisions, according to the Associated Press