Fact Check: Did JD Vance Have Sex with a Couch?
What We Know
The claim that JD Vance, the Republican vice presidential nominee, had sex with a couch originated from a viral joke on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). This rumor suggested that Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, contained a passage about a sexual encounter involving an "inside-out latex glove shoved between two couch cushions" (Joffe-Block, 2024). However, there is no such mention in Vance's book, which has been confirmed by multiple sources, including Rolling Stone and Snopes.
The false rumor gained traction when an X user fabricated a citation with specific page numbers, leading many to mistakenly believe it was a legitimate excerpt from Vance's memoir. The Associated Press (AP) initially published a fact-check titled "No, JD Vance Did Not Have Sex with a Couch," but later retracted the article due to it not undergoing the standard editing process (Joffe-Block, 2024; Ramirez, 2024). Despite the retraction, the rumor continued to spread, fueled by social media users sharing screenshots of the article (Joffe-Block, 2024).
Analysis
The claim about Vance's alleged sexual encounter with a couch is demonstrably false. Not only does Hillbilly Elegy lack any reference to such an event, but the viral nature of the rumor highlights the challenges of misinformation in today's digital landscape. The initial joke was framed as a humorous anecdote, which contributed to its rapid spread, despite being entirely fabricated (Joffe-Block, 2024; Ramirez, 2024).
The credibility of the sources reporting on this rumor varies. NPR and Rolling Stone are reputable news organizations, providing thorough analysis and context surrounding the rumor's origins and its implications for social media discourse (Joffe-Block, 2024; Ramirez, 2024). In contrast, the initial AP fact-check, while intended to clarify the misinformation, was retracted, which may have inadvertently lent further credence to the rumor as it became a topic of discussion (Joffe-Block, 2024; HuffPost, 2024).
Critics of the spread of this rumor point to the lax content moderation policies on X, which have changed under new ownership, allowing for the proliferation of unverified claims (Joffe-Block, 2024). Experts suggest that the platform's current environment is conducive to the rapid spread of such misinformation, making it difficult for users to discern fact from fiction (Roberts, 2024).
Conclusion
The claim that JD Vance had sex with a couch is False. There is no evidence to support this allegation, and it originated from a fabricated joke that misled many users on social media. The absence of any such content in Vance's memoir, coupled with the retraction of the initial fact-check by the AP, underscores the importance of verifying information before sharing it, especially in a politically charged environment.
Sources
- What the JD Vance couch jokes say about social media ... (https://www.npr.org/2024/07/31/nx-s1-5055854/vance-harris-social-media-rumors-jokes)
- J.D. Vance's Couch Sex Rumor, Explained - Rolling Stone (https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/jd-vance-couch-sex-rumor-explained-1235068142/)
- No, JD Vance Did Not Say He Had Sex with Couch Cushions (https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/jd-vance-couch-cushions/)
- AP Fact Checks Claim That JD Vance Had Sex with a Couch - Mediaite (https://www.mediaite.com/politics/ap-runs-fact-check-on-claim-that-jd-vance-had-sex-with-a-couch/)
- Democrats continue to joke about false JD Vance rumor ... (https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/democrats-false-jd-vance-couch-trump-misinformation-rcna166155)
- AP Declares That 'JD Vance Did Not Have Sex With A Couch ... - HuffPost (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/associated-press-jd-vance-sex-couch_n_66a21fcbe4b0ac6125bd7f45)
- No, JD Vance didn't fuck a couch. But saying he did is free ... (https://www.thefire.org/news/no-jd-vance-didnt-fuck-couch-saying-he-did-free-speech-heres-why)
- AP pulls story fact-checking whether JD Vance had sex with a couch - SFGATE (https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/ap-pulls-story-over-claim-vance-had-sex-with-couch-19597264.php)
