Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio native and former U.S. senator from the state, shared a Halloween video over the weekend showing him dressed as Harry Potter character Albus Dumbledore, complete with a long silver wig, gray robe and pointed wizard hat.
In the clip, posted to X on Saturday, Vance held his youngest son, who was dressed as the house elf Dobby. “Vice President Dumbledore here with little Dobby the Elf wishing you a Happy Halloween,” Vance said. “Have fun. Be safe. Eat a lot of candy.”
The costume quickly drew comparisons online to a separate set of photos from Vance’s time at Yale Law School that resurfaced in August 2024, months before he was elected vice president alongside President Trump. Those images, reportedly taken at a 2012 Halloween party, show Vance wearing a blonde wig, a dress and makeup.
The 2012 photos went viral after podcast host Matt Bernstein shared them on X. Travis Whitfill, a former Yale classmate who helped circulate the images, said they came from a group chat of Vance’s ex-colleagues and were taken by another student at the time.
When the photos first surfaced, they drew attention to Vance’s record on LGBTQ+ issues. Vance introduced the Protect Children’s Innocence Act in the Senate, which sought to criminalize gender-affirming care for minors. He has also referred to critics of so-called “Don’t Say Gay” legislation as “groomers” and opposed the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
The renewed attention follows another recent moment of online scrutiny for Vance. During an October campaign rally, he made a remark widely seen as a swipe at Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s sexuality, after an audience member professed love for him. Vance replied, “I love you too, sir. In a totally platonic way, to be clear. I’m the vice president, not James Talarico.” Vance has previously insinuated that Talarico is gay.
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