JD Vance Tells Troops He Wants To Listen To 'Angel On My Shoulder.' Guess How Long That Lasted?

Vice President JD Vance pretended to wrestle with his conscience briefly on Wednesday before making a mean-spirited joke about former President Joe Biden during a speech at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach.

Sadly for the vice president, but happily for human decency in general, his attempt at humor was greeted with stone faces by the troops in attendance.

Vance began his remarks with “It’s amazing to be here,” before revealing what was really on his mind.

“You know what I’m thinking as I’m coming down the steps is don’t fall and bust your ass in front of all of you and in front of all these cameras, because they would never let me live that one down,” he said.

Vance then referenced “the previous president,” and admitted he was facing a personal dilemma: “I’m trying to be nonpartisan.”

The vice president then made a reference to the popular trope in cartoons where a character discusses pressing moral issues with an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.

“You ever seen these old cartoons where you have the angel on the shoulder and the devil on the shoulder?” Vance asked, before explaining, “I’ve got the angel on my shoulder saying, ‘JD, don’t be partisan. We’re going to make this nonpartisan.’

“And then I’ve got the devil on my shoulder who wants to talk about every time that Joe Biden fell up or down the stairs. And the media didn’t care about that. But if I did it one time, if I did it one time, it would be a major, major story.”

You can see Vance’s attempt at (checks notes) humor below, as well as the mostly stone-faced reactions of troop members behind him.

Vance: “I’m trying to be non-partisan…Because I’m speaking to all of you, our great patriots and service members, I’ve got the angel on my shoulder saying, ‘JD, don’t be partisan. Make this non-partisan.’ And then I’ve got the devil on my shoulder who wants to talk about every… pic.twitter.com/iQrZ63NkTs

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— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) July 1, 2026

Mediaite noted that while Biden”had a handful of spills” while in office, Vance was likely mentioning the 2023 U.S. Air Force Academy graduation when the then-80-year-old president tripped and fell on a sandbag onstage.

Like Vance, Trump has also made jokes about Biden’s stumbles. But in his case, his own clumsiness has been pointed out.

Vance’s attempt at humor at Biden’s expense was not well-received on social media.

JD Vance, once again providing an answer to the question:

What would happen if you drained all of the charisma from Donald Trump? https://t.co/G2ZdwUsA8p

— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) July 1, 2026

And the crowd went mild https://t.co/so5luYzE6u

— MeidasTouch (@MeidasTouch) July 1, 2026

I mean, why?!?
Such an unnecessary, gratuitous, dick move. https://t.co/7LAepK9UJS

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 1, 2026

more like JD Wince https://t.co/AK27rwJk0c

— Erin “Skeleton Factory” Ryan (@morninggloria) July 1, 2026

The response of those soldiers tells it all https://t.co/CPRmnwa8CS

— Kevin Donalson (@DrKEDSR) July 1, 2026

Talk about how your mom abandoned you for opiates https://t.co/GnOnypnvOo

— Lockmart Liberal Customer Support (Fan) (@FellaHrx69) July 1, 2026

What a dork — he thought this was funny? Zero servicemen did.

So he revealed his inner self without any payback?

Do go on… https://t.co/TPkzln2Xbx

— Mark Green (@ShadowingDC) July 1, 2026

In all his years in politics, I’ve never heard any of his obvious laugh/applause lines get a laugh or an applause. https://t.co/en2uzEuQiW

— Striggity (@35mmPapi) July 1, 2026

One person noted the irony of the Vice President’s devil-or-angel remarks coming right when he’s promoting a new book about his late-in-life conversion to Catholicism.