Miss Teen USA star hits back at JD Vance for using embarrassing resurfaced video
Former Miss Teen USA contender Caitlin Upton is calling JD Vance a “disgrace” for resurfacing an embarrassing clip of her making fun of Kamala Harris’ first primetime interview as the Democratic nominee.
Then, during the 2007 beauty pageant, 18-year-old Upton came up with an answer, leading to an embarrassing moment that was captured on video.
The humiliating images went viral and in a 2015 interview with New York Magazine, Upton said the notoriety had led to “dark moments” and suicidal thoughts.
Trump’s running mate Vance posted the clip of her response and compared it to Kamala Harris’ answers during her first interview with CNN on Thursday night.
‘I got the full Kamala Harris CNN “interview,” he joked to X.
Former Miss Teen USA Contestant Caitlin Upton Calls VP Contestant JD Vance ‘Disgraceful’
Harris came under heavy fire for her “word salad” softball interview with former Obama official David Axelrod and others on CNN.
Now Upton is taking to X to criticize Vance for resurfacing the video that caused her mental health to deteriorate.
“It’s a shame that this is still being discussed 17 years later,” she writes.
“There’s not much more to say at this point. Regardless of political beliefs, I do know that social media and online bullying has to stop.”
It appears Upton contemplated suicide after the incident, but Vance says he knew nothing about it.
On Friday morning, he was asked to respond to Upton’s accusations of “online bullying” during an interview on CNN.
“I feel for her and I hope she’s okay,” he replied, adding that he’s said “a lot of stupid things on camera.”
“The best way to deal with it is to laugh at ourselves,” he said.
“There’s no reason to think that we can’t joke around while we’re doing the very serious business of fixing our government policies,” he told CNN’s John Berman.
Harris’ critics say she failed to address three issues plaguing her campaign during her interview with CNN’s Dana Bash: the border crisis, skyrocketing inflation and the cover-up surrounding Biden’s health problems.
Upton went to X to criticize Vance for resurfacing the video that led to a deterioration in her mental health
Miss Teen USA Hilary Cruz, Donald Trump, Caitlin Upton, Donald Trump Jr. and Vanessa Trump attend the Trump Soho Hotel Condominium Launch Party at Tribeca Rooftop on September 19, 2007
David Axelrod, a former Obama strategist, delivered a brutal assessment in CNN’s post-game analysis, saying Harris “didn’t play the ball that far forward.”
Scott Jennings, a former Bush adviser, warned that Donald Trump would be “mouth-watering” before the September 10 presidential debate – their first-ever face-to-face meeting.
That sentiment was echoed by GOP polling guru Frank Luntz, who tweeted: “Many people think Kamala Harris has done a good job so far in this interview. I disagree — a good debater will find it easy to challenge her.”
Donald Trump, Miss USA Rachel Smith and Caitlin Upton
He added: “If tonight’s interview is judged not on policy but on performance, Kamala Harris will come up short.”
Bash, a CNN loyalist who has been with the liberal network since graduating from college, was accused of not throwing any punches. Harris HQ presented the interview as a major triumph. Donald Trump told his Truth Social followers it was “BORING!!!”
Daily Mail columnist Andrew Neil said Harris “went scot-free for her role in covering up Biden’s cognitive decline” and added that CNN provided a “masterclass in how not to hold politicians to account”.
Former Trump adviser Steve Cortes called it a “train wreck.”
Harris responded nervously and hesitantly at times, prompting what many on social media labeled as “word salad.”
Axelrod said Harris was forced into the precarious position of “taking credit for the things that are right and trying to distance himself from the things that are not right.”
Harris at times appeared nervous and hesitant in her responses, which were labeled “word salad” by many on social media
Harris’ critics say she failed to address three issues plaguing her campaign during her interview with CNN’s Dana Bash: the border crisis, skyrocketing inflation and the cover-up surrounding Biden’s health.
New York Times political reporter Astead Herndon agreed, conceding, “I don’t think (the Harris campaign) has created a policy difference with Biden.”
On the economy, Harris tried to blame Trump for “exorbitant prices” on groceries — an inflationary strategy rejected by Wall Street because it ignores the huge increases in the price of many commodities, particularly gas, since “Bidenomics” took effect.
Jennings told CNN: “She had no further thoughts on the economic situation in the country or what they’ve done, other than Joe Biden and I have done a great job.”
On immigration, Harris claimed that her work “on root causes” had reduced the number of illegal immigrants.
But the vice president, who was appointed Biden’s “border czar,” has presided over a record-breaking wave of immigration that has left American cities — including those thousands of miles from Mexico — overwhelmed with crime and homelessness.