In addition to the slew of firsts seen in this election, a video of couches “backing” Kamala has gone viral.
The clip shows couches with cats on them in a “march”, holding posters that read: “Couches for Kamala”, “please save us” and “JD groped me”. The video is in reference to unsubstantiated claims circulating online that allege the Republican Party’s Vice President nominee, J.D. Vance, had sex with a couch.
The rumor stemmed from a troll post that used Vance’s memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, as its basis. Newsweek has contacted Vance’s campaign team via email for further comment.
On the day Donald Trump announced Vance as his running mate, X user @rickrudescalves posted that they “can’t say for sure but [Vance] might be the first vp pick to have admitted in a ny times bestseller to f****** an inside-out latex glove shoved between two couch cushions (vance, hillbilly elegy, pp. 179-181).”
However, this story has been widely debunked, with pages 179-181 actually describing Vance’s time at Ohio State University, Vox reports.
As is the way with the internet, its unsubstantiated nature did not stop the claim from going viral, with multiple videos, posts and memes shared about it.
Vance is currently facing heat for previous comments branding Democrats “childless cat ladies” in an appearance on Fox News‘ Tucker Carlson Tonight in July 2021. At the time, he was arguing that the U.S. was being led by people who did not have a “direct stake” in the future of the country.
Vance’s sister has spoken out against the backlash in a statement given to CNN via her brother’s campaign team.
She said: “JD was raised by some of the strongest women I know and went on to marry an incredibly strong woman in Usha (his wife).
“JD is a testament to the women in his life, and the attacks from the media and Democrats that assume anything otherwise is vile.”
Harris has also gone viral on social media, but for quite different reasons as she and her campaign have embraced their “brat” status.
It came after British pop star Charli XCX, who has 3.6 million followers on X, formerly Twitter, threw her support behind the Democratic candidate.
She referenced her album Brat when she posted on X: “Kamala IS brat.”
The idea of a “brat summer” has gone viral on the internet, seen as a rejection of “clean girl” culture and an embracement of hedonism, fun and rebelliousness.
The essentials of a brat summer is a “pack of cigs, a Bic lighter and a strappy white top with no bra,” Charli XCX told the BBC‘s Nick Grimshaw in July.
Content creators have edited some of Harris’ most viral quotes, such as, “Do you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” to the backing of Charli XCX’s music.
Some clips have changed the lyrics of Charli XCX’s song “360” from “I’m everywhere, I’m so Julia” to “I’m so Kamala.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
