JD Vance, the 41-year-old Vice President of the United States, stumbled during a speech in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. He was there to support Trump-backed GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, but his attempt to read from his notes did not go well.
In an awkward moment, Vance froze mid-sentence and struggled to remember the name of the candidate he came to endorse. He was speaking at a manufacturing facility in Des Moines when he hit the snag.
“When I see Iowa farmers who need to get that E-15 to market, what is, uhh. What is, uhh…” he said, according to The Daily Beast, trailing off into a long pause. “Zach, you’re going to have to help me out with her name here. I lost my page here.” Luckily, Nunn was there to help the vice president out. “OK. Alright,” Vance said, still flustered. “OK, there we go. Sarah Trone Garriott. There it is. I-I’m, I’m on the wrong page here.”
A growing pattern of public speaking slip-ups in the current administration
Sarah Trone Garriott is a Democratic state senator in Iowa. Vance’s mistake appeared to be an honest one, but it was still an embarrassing moment for the vice president. This is also not the first time he has struggled with his words during a public speech. It also comes after his recent trip on Iran nuclear talks ended without any deal.
The vice president’s office did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment. Vance is not alone in this, though. President Donald Trump has also been known to stumble over his own words, often reading from notes written in bold black Sharpie.
In a similar moment, Trump was speaking about a federal judge’s decision to halt construction on his $400 million White House ballroom when he got stuck on his notes. “He said we need congressional approval.”
“He also said, but this is positive for us, I’m allowed that, meaning we are allowed, to continue building as necessary to, let’s see…” Trump said, pausing as he searched for the next word. “What is that? To…” he said, before finally figuring it out. “Cover the safety and security of the White House and its grounds.”
In another speech earlier this year, Trump struggled to read from his notes and tripped over simple words like “grass” and “glass.” “This has the highest level of, in fact, they call this graph… this, uh, grass, this, uh, the glass, uh,” he said, before finally getting it right. “It’s bulletproof, and it’s ballistic-proof.” Vance’s pro-Russia views have also drawn criticism, including from his own cousin who fought in Ukraine.
Published: May 6, 2026 10:02 am