Why does JD Vance wear eyeliner?

Perhaps the most surprising throughline in this year’s already chaotic presidential race has been the chatter around high-profile Republicans’ appearance.

From Matt Gaetz’s eye-popping new face at the Republican National Convention to nominee Donald Trump’s increasingly orange skin, the GOP has been touting new standards of beauty (if you could call it that), thanks in no small part to JD Vance. 

Ever since he was announced as Trump’s running mate in July, the Ohio Senator has faced speculation around his appearance, particularly because he is the first first major nominee to sport facial hair in 75 years. Of course, Vance’s beard (and in previous years, lack thereof) has stimulated much discussion online, but it’s his eyes that have truly taken over social media. 

Speculation around whether Vance uses eyeliner has been circulating since as early as 2021, but his recent ascension into the limelight, and new comments from his wife, have pointed an even harsher spotlight on his inexplicably luscious eyelashes. 

Why does JD Vance wear eyeliner?

Questions around why JD Vance wears eyeliner might never be adequately answered, since we don’t yet know for sure that he even wears it. Despite scores of social media users declaring that he has surely picked up a mascara wand, Vance himself has never confirmed or denied that he uses eyeliner, so his motives can’t be properly explained. 

In general, people use eyeliner to make their eyes appear larger or more pronounced, two qualities which have long been attributed to Vance’s striking eyes. Say what you will about his politics, but the man’s eyes certainly pull focus, though not the point of forgetting his terrible track record. If he broke ground with his facial hair, it stands to reason that Vance might also be the first-ever major male nominee to wear eyeliner, depending on who you ask.

So intense was the speculation around Vance’s apparent use of eyeliner that one reporter launched a full-scale investigation for Slate. They concluded that the chances of Vance actually wearing eyeliner are “probably pretty low,” but that didn’t stop self-appointed beauticians from declaring otherwise on X. Dozens of users have made memes out of the politician’s supposed use of eyeliner, name-checking beauty brands like Maybelline and pointing out the hypocrisy given the GOP’s opposition to drag queens.  

The question of why, or even if, Vance wears eyeliner might’ve been rendered mute earlier this month, when Vance’s wife Usha Vance finally addressed rumors of his potential makeup use. In a statement provided to Puck News, Usha claimed her husband’s eyelashes were “all natural” and said she “always been jealous of those lashes.” 

You’d think Usha’s claims would put to bed any speculation about Vance’s eyeliner, but then she would say this, so don’t expect the speculation (and memes) to die down anytime soon.