Disgraced former New York Republican Representative George Santos was mocked for jumping to defend former President Donald Trump's running mate J.D. Vance from claims that he wears eyeliner, asserting that Vance simply has "long eyelashes."
This isn’t Vance’s first encounter with eyeliner rumors; back in July, observers pointed out what appeared to be traces of an Urban Decay glide-on pencil beneath his blue eyes.
However, an investigation by Slate implied that Vance’s long eyelashes and hooded eyelids likely create some conveniently placed shadows. His wife, Usha Vance, confirmed to Puck News that his look was “all natural,” and admitted that she's "always been jealous of those lashes.”
But Santos, a known liar, serial fabulist, and convicted felon, took to X, formerly Twitter, to shut down the rumors with a very specific explanation:
"Vance does NOT use eye liner. I’ve met him in person before he was a senator and I can confirm he has long eyelashes and they cast a shadow on his waterline when is studios full of lights… Grow up people!"
You can see his post below.
That is rich coming from a man who spent an inordinate amount of time until he was expelled from office claiming that reports he'd performed in drag—and thus used plenty of makeup himself—were "categorically false."
At least one person pointed out that Vance's older photos look completely different compared to his current look.
@reluctantmutant/X
In fact, one photographer earlier shared a zoomed-in photo of Vance’s eye that seems to show he does indeed wear eyeliner.
@zdroberts/X
The mockery was swift.
Funnily enough, Vance, who introduced the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” a bill intended to criminalize facilities that offer gender-affirming care to minors, and has promoted baseless Republican attacks that drag queens are "groomers" who sexualize children, has gone even further with makeup in the past.
Vance wearing a long blonde wig while at Yale Law School circulated earlier this summer. The image appeared to depict a man in a blonde wig, wearing a large necklace and a floral skirt. The photo's source, Travis Whitfill, claimed it was taken by a Yale student in 2012, during the time Vance was attending law school there.
The Daily Beast was told that the photo was "from a group chat of Vance’s fellow classmates and is from a friend of a friend," and that it "was grabbed from Facebook and was taken at a Halloween party.”
Perhaps he and Santos should swap beauty tips.
@LeeMerrittesq/X
@bob_moss/X
@jelanijones/Bluesky
@Aurkayne/X
@sadcommunistdog; @froglok/Bluesky