JD Vance roasted over his response to what he thinks socialism means
Por Isabel Keane — – World RSS Feed
JD Vance roasted over his response to what he thinks socialism means
‘They cry socialism, but have no clue what it is,’ one critic said
Isabel Keane in New York Thursday 08 October 2026 22:06 BST
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Vice President JD Vance attempted to define socialism during a press conference — but many online were left unconvinced by his explanation.
Social media users had a field day when Vance was asked during an unrelated news conference Thursday how he would “personally” define socialism, and why he thinks “socialist candidates” are “popping up everywhere across the country.”
“Oh, man…It’s honestly a hard term to define these days,” Vance said.
“Classically, you would think socialism is about prioritizing workers. And yet in reality, most of the self-described socialists running across the United States of America are going to howl about this announcement today, which is prioritizing American workers over foreign workers,” Vance said. “So I don’t know what the term means anymore.”
“I think in reality, what it actually means in the American context is that you want to replace American workers with foreign workers, and you want boys to play in girls’ sports. That’s what united the socialists that I see running across the United States of America today.”
open image in galleryEven though Republicans’ latest campaign strategy ahead of November’s midterm elections has been to call Democrats communist or socialist, Vance’s definition veers off in an unexpected direction.
Merriam-Webster defines socialism as “any of the various egalitarian economic and political theories or movements advocating collective or government ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.” Socialist models often see the nationalization of major industries and public services like water, power and public transport.
Democratic socialism, a government model often associated with Scandinavian countries and which is still rooted in capitalism, is growing in popularity in the United States. It is touted by politicians including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who describes the term as a commitment to human dignity by providing the essentials for a secure life.
Critics didn’t hold back when dragging Vance for his unconventional definition.
“THIS IS NOT THE DEFINITION OF SOCIALISM,” journalist Mehdi Hasan exclaimed on X.
“Sure why the hell not, nothing means anything anymore,” journalist Steven Monacelli added.
“They cry socialism, but have no clue what it is. Instead they just make s*** up. Desperate fascists trying to cling to power,” X user Molly Ploofkins, who has over 163,000 followers, noted.
“Proving once again that the term has lost all meaning and has just become a catch-all for whatever Republicans are mad about that day,” journalist Dan Schafer said.
open image in gallery“I’m pretty sure socialism has nothing to do with whether you want boys to play in girls’ sports,” Washington Post columnist Shadi Hamid wrote.
Meanwhile, Democratic strategist Mike Nellis deemed Vance “the dumbest VP in history.”
“This guy was a best selling author who went to yale btw,” @Organizermemes noted.
Vance’s comments came Thursday during a press conference in Washington, D.C., where he announced that Microsoft and other tech firms would be temporarily suspended from sponsoring H-1B visa workers seeking green cards.
“The H-1B visa program is meant to allow companies to bring in really the best of the best from outside the United States of America for positions that are completely impossible to fill with American workers,” he said. “Unfortunately, the program has become rife with fraud.”
The announcement came as the Trump administration raised the application fee for the H-1B program to $100,000, though the move is tied up in federal court.
Microsoft defended its workforce practices in response to the announcement, saying in a statement, “We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans.”
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JD VanceVice PresidentUnited StatesRepublicansDemocrats
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