Was J.D. Vance Wearing Eyeliner at the Debate or Not? (2025)

Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Tuesday’s vice-presidential debate between J.D. Vance and Tim Walz may have been tamer than expected, but it still left us with a few things to yell about. In addition to making an astounding number of false claims, Vance inadvertently reignited one of the most heated issues of this election cycle: whether he wears eyeliner.

This is not the first time Vance has found himself facing eyeliner allegations. In July, X users began to notice what looked like evidence of an Urban Decay glide-on pencil under his alarmingly blue eyes. However, a Slate investigation suggested Vance’s naturally long eyelashes and hooded eyelids are probably just casting some fortunately placed shadows. Hiswife, Usha Vance, told Puck News that his appearance was “all natural,” adding “I’ve always been jealous of those lashes.”

But Vance’s waterlines were looking suspiciously well defined Tuesday night. Maybe his hot-pink tie was making his kohl pop extra hard? Whatever the case, a lot of people are jealous of the effect. Goths on Reddit are speculating about where he managed to attain such a smoky charcoal look, with some even proposing that he got his waterline tattooed.

Also weighing in was George Santos, who took to X to explain that Vance’s eyelashes “cast a shadow on his waterline” when he’s under studio lights. Actually, Santos floated a different theory about Vance’s Tuesday-night appearance — he believes Vance is looking “good” thanks to Ozempic. Now this is a good debate.

Tags:

• j.d. vance
• jd vance
• politics
• debate
• 2024 election
• makeup
• More

Show Leave a Comment