Watch: J.D. Vance Makes an Unfortunate Couch Joke at Nevada Rally
Donald Trump’s running mate apparently thinks it’s smart to begin making couch jokes on the campaign trail.
![J.D. Vance smiles while speaking at a mic, his hands spread out](http://images.newrepublic.com/b1ee2a463db406c0efc2bcc1a8aaca69ba5f4894.jpeg?auto=format&fit=crop&crop=faces&q=65&w=768&h=undefined&ar=3%3A2&ixlib=react-9.0.2&w=768)
A false rumor has been circulating online that claims Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance once performed a sexual act with a couch. Why, then, did the Ohio senator make a couch joke at a rally in Nevada?
On Tuesday night, Vance decided to bring up sofas while speaking about his wife, Usha.
“Now, I would call her up here to come and speak, but then I think I’d have to sleep on the couch tonight, so I’ll leave her alone,” Vance said.
Vance: I would call my wife up here to speak but then I think I’d have to sleep on the couch pic.twitter.com/149BDw2EZY
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 31, 2024
The joke only got some tepid laughter, and plenty of mockery online.
![Twitter screenshot Art Candee 🍿🥤 @ArtCandee Oh man. He’s uh. Admitting to it? 9:17 PM · Jul 30, 2024 · 85.7K Views](http://images.newrepublic.com/0bf066a36b9abf36ab1b2a9fe17956c9dc12f615.png?w=1198)
![Twitter screenshot Franklin @franklinisbored A reminder that JD Vance hasn’t publicly denied the couch allegations. 9:06 PM · Jul 30, 2024 · 164.1K Views](http://images.newrepublic.com/553766bc051ca62bef05e62ea7724bc8ad089ff8.png?w=1192)
![Twitter screenshot Bradley Whitford @BradleyWhitford You can’t teach this kind of political instinct. It’s a gift.](http://images.newrepublic.com/ef8b852509c1020963e5628c93b8f5b402754898.png?w=1184)
![Twitter screenshot Prem Thakker @prem_thakker “Easy stuff JD, just be sure to avoid sayi—”](http://images.newrepublic.com/0054d29e5605a98f72dab9f9ef4deec1eb38baef.png?w=1182)
This is not likely to help Vance and Republicans fight the assertion that they’re weird, as the Democrats keep saying. The attack line is working, and driving the GOP insane. Republicans still haven’t come up with a good comeback for it, and right-wing media can’t handle it either. Trump can’t really explain why he chose the Ohio senator as his running mate (it was reportedly to shore up his white male base), and some Republicans are starting to regret the choice. If Vance wants the “weird” attacks to go away and improve his standing, he can’t make slipups like this.