JD Vance Confronted With Bald Meme While Attending RNC Fundraiser

Newsweek

4 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Vice President JD Vance was confronted by protesters holding a large photo of him depicted as bald and smooth-faced while attending a fundraiser for the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Nantucket, local media reported.
Vance was on the island with his wife, Usha Vance, when he was greeted by more than 100 protesters organized such local groups as Indivisible Nantucket, Mass 50501, Cape Cod Women for Change, and Cape Cod resident Amanda McGonigle, per Nantucket Current reporting.
"I organized Meowtucket because JD Vance chose to host a $250,000-per-couple fundraising dinner on Nantucket just a few weeks after casting a tie-breaking vote in the Senate that strips Medicare and Medicaid from millions of Americans, takes food from children, services from veterans, and more," McGonigle, who runs an Instagram account called catsonacouch with 1 million followers, told Newsweek, referencing the recent Senate passage of President Donald Trump's spending and tax package the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Newsweek has contacted Vice President Vance and Indivisible Nantucket via email for comment.
The giant bald baby meme created by protesters who met JD Vance on Nantucket.
The giant bald baby meme created by protesters who met JD Vance on Nantucket.
Nickleen Mosher/Instagram
Why It Matters
According to polling by Emerson College, Vance is the preferred primary pick among Republican voters to represent the party in the 2028 election.
As U.S. vice president and finance chair of the Republican Party, he appears to have become the face of the GOP, but also the focus of ire from critics of the administration, having been recently heckled at Disneyland, booed while dining in California, and in March met by protesters while on a family ski trip in Vermont.
According to polling by YouGov, Vance has a 38 percent popularity rating among voters.
What To Know
The bald meme of Vance is an edited image to make the vice president's head look like a giant bald baby. It has become a protest sign since a Norwegian tourist said he was denied entry into the United States in June for having that meme on his phone.
The Department of Homeland Security contested that claim, saying he was denied entry due to "his admitted drug use."
The image originated online in early 2025 as part of a meme trend called "JD Vance Babyface Edits," where Vance's face was edited into several images depicting him as a smooth-faced bald person.
Vance was on Nantucket to attend a fundraiser hosted by Bob Reynolds, CEO of Putnam Investments. According to the New York Post, the event raised $3 million for the RNC. The outlet reported that the lowest price of entry into the event for a couple was $100,000, and the host committee "membership" price was $250,000.
Per Nantucket Current reporting, the vice president arrived on the island adjacent to Cape Cod on Tuesday morning at 11:30, where he was greeted by protesters on Airport Road. His motorcade, which included a large security detail, left the airport from the back entrance and drove to a 70-foot yacht which took the Vances out to sea for several hours.
When they returned, another demonstration was forming at a nearby beach, and then then on the road that attendees had to drive down to reach the fundraiser. In a Nantucket Current video posted online, as Vance stepped off the boat, chants of "USA" could also be heard.
Signs present at the protest filmed by Nantucket Current included a giant version of the bald meme, as well as "Vance Scallops in Jeans," "There Once Was a Man From Nantucket...It's Not You. Go Away," "Flip Flops Are For Beaches, Not Vice Presidents," and several signs that said "Hands Off."
Protest attendees on Nantucket holding signs.
Protest attendees on Nantucket holding signs.
Amanda McGonigle
McGonigle told Newsweek: "Nantucket and the broader Cape Cod region have been ravaged by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] in the last few months; and the immigrant community on the Island is still reeling, shaken and afraid."
In May, federal immigration authorities raided locations on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, which resulted in about 40 arrests. ICE said this included a documented member of the notorious MS-13 street gang and at least one child sex offender.
What People Are Saying
Toby Simon, a member of Indivisible Outercape, told Newsweek: ""Our Indivisible Outercape group, along with all the Cape and Islands groups, were involved with the Vance protests on Nantucket. Indivisible Nantucket organized the specific activities of the day at the various locations. Sadly I wasn't able to attend due to having lots of family visiting us this week, but my friends who did, said it was a fantastic day!..
"I'm thrilled that people protested his visit to Nantucket. JD Vance is a dangerous politician, has made outrageous statements on his view of 'wokeness,' regularly lies and distorts reality, and his presence is protested wherever he goes."
Amanda McGonigle told Newsweek: "It's important that during times where the administration tries to instill fear, that we fight back in whatever ways we can. And for me, I've always used humor. Humor has long been used to combat fascism, because when you're laughing you cannot be afraid."
What Happens Next
The vice president was scheduled to leave Nantucket on Wednesday, per the Nantucket Current.