JD Vance faced a painfully quiet room during the first meeting of President Donald Trump's so-called 'Board of Peace' in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
During his speech, theVice President tried to make a jokeabout Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stumble at the Munich Security Conference. Instead of laughter, the audience stayed silent.
The awkward moment quickly became the event's headline, overshadowing discussions about global security and plans for Gaza.
Vance began by recalling Trump's praise at the start of the session. He said he 'knew exactly what I wanted to say' but felt pressure after Trump called him smart.
Vance referenced Ocasio-Cortez freezing for 20 seconds in Munich and said he was 'tempted, sir, just to freeze, for 20 seconds, and just stare at the cameras.'
He implied that such a pause might earn him similar compliments.
The joke landed flat. No one in the audience laughed. The microphones picked up nothing. Observers said Vance's joke about Ocasio-Cortez felt forced and awkward.
But Vance didn't set up the joke by himself.
Earlier in the meeting, Trump sharply criticised Ocasio-Cortez. He called her 'an embarrassment to our Nation' and claimed she had made 'a fool' of herself in Munich. Trump also praised Vance's college speaking skills against hers, saying: 'AOC, she was unable to answer a simple question. And she could have said, 'Well, I'm studying it, and I'll report back to you next week.''
This set a tense, highly partisan tone for the rest of the event. Only this time, Vance's attempt at humour stood out awkwardly in the charged atmosphere.
Source: International Business Times UK
