J.D. Vance Loves Diet Mountain Dew: "I'm Sure They're Gonna Call That Racist"

Ah, Diet Mountain Dew: a drink so iconic that Lana Del Rey wrote a whole song about it. In it, she sings, "You're no good for me, but baby, I want you," which is, I guess, how Republican VP hopeful J.D. Vance feels, as well.

Addressing the crowd at a rally at his old high school in Middletown, Ohio, J.D. professed his love for the beverage in a strange way: "I had a diet Mountain Dew yesterday, and one today. I’m sure [the Democrats] are probably gonna call that racist."

To his statement, the crowd went, well, mild. There were some awkward laughs here and there, but as a whole, his audience just seemed a little confused — as did the internet upon watching clips of his declaration. What is he talking about?

What could possibly be racist about a carbonated, lime-green beverage with no calories or sugar? Well, nothing — which was kind of his point. In his speech, J.D. was calling for identification to be required when voting. The topic seemed to strike a chord in him somewhere, and he began complaining that Democrats think everything is "racist."

"It is the weirdest thing to me: Democrats say that it is racist to believe — well, they say it’s racist to do anything," he said. "I had a diet Mountain Dew yesterday, and one today. I’m sure they’re probably gonna call that racist, too." After a few scattered chuckles and a beat of awkward silence, he doubled down: "It's good."

All in all, it was a pretty uncomfortable moment for spectators — and for J.D. himself, it seemed. On X, people had plenty to say about his beverage of choice, as well as his uninspired speech as a whole.

“Diet Mountain Dew is such a cursed beverage," one person posted. "Mountain Dew is a carbonated bacchanal, a celebration of excess and mankind's hubris. To try and enjoy it at no caloric cost to oneself incurs a karmic debt."

Another said, "Americans are an enigma to the rest of us. How this painfully unfunny, insecure person wearing way too much eyeliner aspires to be one of the most powerful [people] not just in their country but also, without much of our consent, the rest of the world, is incomprehensible to me."