Caitlin Upton, a former Miss Teen USA contestant who once famously struggled to answer a question on stage, is shaming JD Vance for recently posting the video in a reference to Kamala Harris.
Just hours after the vice presidential hopeful appeared on CNN Friday morning and refused to apologize for the post, Upton posted, before later deleting, a message of her own on X, labeling his actions as “bullying,” reported Deadline.
“It’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up,” Upton wrote, referencing her now-infamous 2007 clip. “There’s not too much else to say about it at this point. Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop.”
The clip that Vance shared shows a flustered Upton, trying to answer a question about Americans’ inability to locate the U.S. on a world map.
Her answer, filled with awkward pauses and confused statements, quickly became an early viral sensation and led to widespread mockery.
Upton has since opened up about the impact of the incident, revealing in a 2015 interview with New York Magazine that she experienced “dark moments” and suicidal thoughts due to the backlash.
Following her statement, Upton deleted her X account as critical comments poured in, many pointing out her past support for Donald Trump, who owned the Miss Teen USA pageant from 1996 to 2015.
During his CNN appearance, Vance was questioned by anchor John Berman about Upton’s previous comments regarding her mental health struggles following the viral incident.
Vance expressed sympathy but did not apologize, stating, “I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke, but I wish the best for Caitlin and hope she’s doing well.”
In his original post, Vance wrote, sarcastically, “BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.”