JD Vance has become one of the most polarizing men in the country over the last few months. Part of the reason is that he’s been chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate in the presidential election. Another part of the reason, though, is that Vance is very awkward. Very awkward.
The politician is viewed as a walking meme and his various attempts to interact with locals and appear “normal” only emphasize just how awkward he really is. Jimmy Kimmel decided to shine even more of a light on JD Vance’s lack of charisma by enlisting Oscar nominee Haley Joel Osment to parody him in a late-night sketch.
The results? Hilarious. We see awkward people.
Osment debuted his impression on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The sketch, which premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live, sees Haley Joel Osment satirize a particular video in which JD Vance stopped by a donut shop in Valdosta, Georgia, and struggled to make small talk with the workers. Osment shares blue eyes and a beard with Vance, and he nails the impression. His version of Vance is so inept he can’t even say the word “donut” without turning it into a bizarre mess.
Osment’s Vance waltzes into a donut shop and tries to make small talk, but then quickly gives up and looks at the employee behind the counter and says “donut.” When asked which donut he’d prefer, he stares into the distance before adding: “Whatever makes sense.” In arguably the most laugh-out-loud moment of the entire sketch, Vance tries to lift the plastic barrier on his side of the counter to get his hands on a donut. He panics, before punching through the plastic and cutting his hand open.
The rest of the sketch is dedicated to a bandaged JD Vance walking around the donut shop, trying desperately to connect with the other patrons. He tries miserably to chat with a construction worker before turning up the creep factor and interrogating a pregnant woman. Vance has come under fire for his stance on abortion rights and pregnancy in general. Osment and the Jimmy Kimmel Live team don’t miss a beat here.
Osment was rumored to play JD Vance on SNL
Screenwriter Jace Serrano shared the viral clip on Twitter and jokingly wrote that Osment’s performance as Vance is his “best performance since The Sixth Sense.” Osment has been in other acclaimed films since the 1999 horror thriller, but can’t deny he absolutely crushes JD Vance’s accent and his general cluelessness when forced into a seemingly normal situation.
Osment was one of the names thrown around by the internet when Saturday Night Live was looking to cast the role of Vance for season 50. The role has since been occupied by cast member Bowen Yang, but we’re admittedly glad to see what it would have looked like had Osment stepped into the role.
The actor recently appeared on the Amazon comedy Alpha House, which centered on a group of bumbling Republican U.S. Senators. Osment told TheWrap that he believed Republicans are so ridiculous they must be mocked: “We focused on that party because they’re offering just so much more humor these days,” he opined. JD Vance, at least in the opinion of the actor and the staff at Jimmy Kimmel Live, is a prime example.
