Former Miss Teen USA contestant Caitlin Upton blasted Sen. J.D. Vance for revisiting an embarrassing clip of her to knock Kamala Harris’ CNN interview.
At 18, Upton struggled to answer a question during the 2007 pageant, resulting in a painfully awkward moment recorded on video.
The mortifying footage went viral, and in a 2015 interview with New York Magazine, Upton revealed that the notoriety led to ‘dark moments’ and thoughts of suicide.
Vance shared the clip of Upton, drawing parallels to Kamala Harris’ replies during her pre-recorded interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on Thursday night.
BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview. pic.twitter.com/c6nfcJrFJy
— JD Vance (@JDVance) August 29, 2024
“I have gotten a hold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview,” he tweeted.
Upton blasted Vance for bringing up the viral clip that has haunted her for nearly two decades.
“It’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up,” she tweeted.
“There’s not too much else to say about it at this point,” the former beauty queen added.
“Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop.”
In a Friday interview on CNN, Vance was asked about Upton’s “online bullying” claims and if he was aware that she had “contemplated suicide,” which Trump’s running mate said he was “certainly not.”
CNN’s John Berman is suggesting that because JD Vance used the Ms. South Carolina 2007 clip as a meme for Kamala Harris’s interview with Dana Bash that he somehow encouraged Caitlin Upton to consider committing suicide. It’s gross, but not surprising given that it’s CNN. https://t.co/3PwrVtukIq
— Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) August 30, 2024
“My heart goes out to her, and I hope she’s doing well,” he responded, before noting that he has “said a lot of stupid things on camera.”
“The best way to deal with it is to laugh at ourselves,” he told John Berman.
“There’s nothing that says that we can’t tell some jokes along the way while we deal with the very serious business of bringing back our public policy,” Vance concluded.
Almost a year ago, Oprah and Johnson faced backlash after asking struggling peasants to donate to the Maui fund they launched to help wildfire victims. Oprah and Johnson committed to donating $10 million themselves.
This year, Oprah donated $150 million to the Harris campaign.… pic.twitter.com/vGHeEGcwYC
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) August 28, 2024
Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey suggested that Harris is “no longer hiding in plain sight” after her interview with Bash aired.
At the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, Winfrey told Variety that Harris has transitioned from “hiding in plain sight” as a presidential candidate to “embracing her true self.”
“She has literally stepped into the true vision of herself. I think finally for the first time she stepped into the calling that has been there and that she’s just now heard,” Winfrey commented.
Attempting to shift the narrative, Winfrey implied that avoiding the media as a presidential candidate is a typical behavior for women, labeling Harris’ interaction with the media as “a historic moment.”
“It’s like she shed the shadow,” she lauded. “It’s like she literally had been hiding in plain sight and she was in this prison where it feels like to me she did what millions of women all over the world do.”
Winfrey further implied that Harris dodging the media since starting her presidential campaign is something women do to “fit into the world.”
“You make yourself a little smaller, a little narrower, a little dimmer — just to fit into the world, so that you don’t make other people look any less than they are,” she concluded.
Former NBA great Magic Johnson got a reality check after he lauded Harris for finally speaking to the media.
“Vice President Kamala Harris was outstanding in her CNN interview tonight! She has a real vision for the country,” he tweeted.
Stevie Wonder has better vision.
— John Haughey (@johnhaughey) August 30, 2024
“What’s the vision? Be specific,” one person replied.
“Stevie wonder has better vision,” added another.
In response to the backlash, Johnson leaned into his original sentiment.
“VP Harris was strong and clear about her positions on the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and other issues. She clearly explained why she changed viewpoints on a couple of issues which shows her humility, growth, and willingness to be open,” he posted.
VP Harris was strong and clear about her positions on the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and other issues. She clearly explained why she changed viewpoints on a couple of issues which shows her humility, growth, and willingness to be open.
A special shoutout to her…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) August 30, 2024
“A special shoutout to her running mate Governor Tim Walz who also did a great job tonight and to anchor Dana Bash for fantastic interview,” Johnson added.
“Say you didn’t watch the interview without saying you didn’t watch the interview…” somebody shot back.
“This is why Michael Jordan is the goat. He would never sell his soul and country for a few bucks,” another quipped.