A one-time Miss Teen USA contestant mocked for her stuttering answer to a judge’s question has shamed JD Vance for resurfacing her ordeal and using it to attack Kamala Harris.
Caitlin Upton was 18 and competing in the Miss Teen USA 2007 pageant when her stumbling response to a question about why some Americans couldn’t find their own country on the map became an early viral sensation.
“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don't have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future,” said Upton, who was Miss Teen South Carolina at the time.
This was the message Caite Upton posted Friday before deleting her account entirely on X, the platform Vance had used to resurrect mockery of her.
So bad was the mockery which followed, she told New York Magazine in 2015, that she contemplated suicide.
But on Thursday, 17 years after Upton’s moment, Donald Trump’s running mate JD Vance posted a video of Upton’s humiliation with the caption, “BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.”
But Upton, now a 35-year-old mother of two who has posted conservative memes, wild claims of voting fraud and Students for Trump material, did not see his joke in a positive light. “It’s a shame that 17 years later this is still being brought up. Regardless of political beliefs, one thing I do know is that social media and online bullying needs to stop,” she said on X—then deleted her account shortly afterwards.
Upton posted the message after Vance went on CNN Friday morning. When anchor John Berman confronted him with her previous comments about contemplating suicide, the Republican vice-presidential candidate dismissed the video as “a 20-year-old meme” and said the best way to deal with mockery is to “laugh it off.”
“Politics has got way too lame. You can have some fun while making an argument to the American people about improving their lives,” he said. “I’m not going to apologize for posting a joke but I wish the best for Caitlin and hope she’s doing well.”
Losing an apparently pro-Republican Miss Teen USA runner-up—despite her incoherent answer, Upton came third in the contest, at that time owned by Vance’s running mate Trump—comes after Vance faced backlash for his “childless cat ladies” dismissal of female politicians who do not have children.
The always-online 40-year-old has endured his own recent run of awkward moments, including an unfortunate visit to a donut shop on the campaign trail and a bizarre attempt to storm Kamala Harris’s empty Air Force 2 when their planes landed at the same airport. The tweet was posted hours after he was booed by firefighters before even addressing them at a union convention—then booed more when he did, responding by calling them “haters.”
Caitlin Upton's Infamous Moment and Its Aftermath
Caitlin Upton’s awkward response to a question during the Miss Teen USA pageant in 2007 went viral, instantly making her a target of ridicule. The internet, in its early days of wide reach, seized upon the moment, subjecting Upton to relentless mockery.
The video was shared widely, and her answer became a symbol of what many saw as the absurdity of beauty pageants. It was a moment that Upton would later describe as a dark period in her life, saying in a 2015 interview that she had contemplated suicide due to the relentless online bullying.
Vance's Mocking Post and the Backlash
In an attempt to take a swipe at Kamala Harris before her CNN interview, JD Vance, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, posted a video of Upton's infamous answer, comparing it to Harris’s expected performance in the interview. The caption of Vance’s post read, “BREAKING: I have gotten ahold of the full Kamala Harris CNN interview.”
Vance’s post sparked outrage, with many criticizing his decision to exploit a woman’s past humiliation for political gain. Social media users accused Vance of misogyny and of using Upton’s ordeal as a cheap shot against Harris.
The Ongoing Debate on Online Bullying
The events surrounding Caitlin Upton's viral moment and JD Vance’s post highlight a larger conversation about online bullying and the consequences of public humiliation. The ease with which we can share information and spread gossip online often leads to the amplification of negativity and the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes.
The backlash to Vance’s post also underscores the importance of holding public figures accountable for their actions. Politicians should be held to a higher standard of conduct, especially when their words have the potential to influence public opinion and inflict harm on others.
The Need for Empathy and Accountability
In an increasingly polarized world, it is critical that we remember the human impact of our words and actions. The ease of online communication can make it easy to forget that behind every username and screen is a real person with real feelings.
The case of Caitlin Upton serves as a reminder that online bullying can have devastating consequences. Public figures should be held accountable for their actions and the harm they inflict, especially when they choose to exploit the past mistakes and vulnerabilities of others. In a world dominated by social media and the 24-hour news cycle, empathy and accountability are essential for navigating the complexities of online discourse and fostering a more civil and respectful public sphere.
