UPDATE, with info on Upton’s X account: Hours after vice presidential nominee JD Vance appeared on CNN and refused to apologize to former Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton for tweeting an embarrassing 2007 video clip of her, Upton posted a message on X calling the resurfacing “a disgrace” and decrying on-line bullying.
“It’s a disgrace that 17 years later that is nonetheless being introduced up,” wrote Upton, who prior to now has retweeted Donald Trump tweets and anti-lockdown messages. “There’s not an excessive amount of else to say about it at this level. No matter political opinions, one factor I do know is that social media and on-line bullying must cease.”
Since Upton’s assertion was posted this morning, her X account has been deleted. Responses to her put up had included many vital feedback from X customers mentioning what they stated was her longtime help of Trump (he owned the pageant from 1996 to 2015). A 2007 picture of Upton and different contestants posing with Trump and Donald Trump Jr. at a pageant occasion was extensively circulated on X.
Final evening, Vance posted a message on social media that resurrected the previous Upton clip and captioned it, “I’ve gotten ahold of the complete Kamala Harris CNN interview.” Within the 2007 clip of Upton’s look on the pageant, the contestant fumbles badly in answering the query, “Current polls have proven a fifth of Individuals can’t find the U.S. on a world map. Why do you assume that is?”
“I personally imagine,” a flustered Upton answered, “that U.S. Individuals are unable to take action as a result of, um, some folks on the market in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I imagine that our, uh, training like similar to, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and in all places like similar to, and I imagine that they need to, uh, our training over right here within the U.S. ought to assist the U.S., uh, ought to assist South Africa and may assist Iraq and the Asian international locations, so we can construct up our future.”
The clip of her humiliating, rambling reply went viral, plunging what Upton later described as “darkish moments” and suicidal ideas. In a 2015 interview with New York Journal, Upton, who modeled after the pageant and competed on The Wonderful Race in 2010, stated, “I undoubtedly went by means of a interval the place I used to be very, very depressed. However I by no means let anyone see that stuff, aside from folks I may belief. I had some very darkish moments the place I considered committing suicide.”
Showing on CNN this morning, Vance was requested by the community’s John Berman if he knew about Upton’s disclosure.
“No actually not,” Vance stated, “and my coronary heart goes out to her and I hope she’s doing effectively.” Vance went on to say he, like others, has “stated lots of silly issues on digital camera.” After making an attempt to pivot to topics together with well being care and inflation, Vance circled again to the query and appeared to supply Upton some unrequested recommendation, saying that “one of the simplest ways to take care of it’s to snicker at ourselves.”
Vance bemoaned, “Politics has gotten approach too lame John, approach too boring.”
Berman then gave Vance one other alternative to apologize. The candidate doubled down.
“John, I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke,” he stated, “however I want the very best for Caitlin and I hope she’s doing effectively.”
Watch Vance’s look on CNN right here.