
In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Footage going viral online appears to show Vice President JD Vance being confronted by a reporter in Greenland for not wearing a suit. The purported clash is assumed to be payback after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was accused of being disrespectful for not wearing a suit during a White House visit in February.
But did it actually happen? No.
The rumor has been circulating on platforms such as TikTok and X and is based on a video that appears to show Vance walking away from a press conference at the Pituffik Space Base after being asked about his attire.
“Why don’t you wear a suit?” a voice can be heard saying.
The fake video is duping people
In one version of the video uploaded to TikTok, which has been viewed more than 3.8 million times, users immediately made the connection to the attacks on Zelensky.
“This is so odd because that’s exactly what they said to Zelensky,” one commenter said.
“Just like when you made fun of Zelensky, an active soldier and president of Ukraine, when he didn’t wear a suit,” another added.
Others argued that by walking away from the question, Vance was showcasing his lack of character.
“A show of weakness to walk away after a respectful question,” another user said.
“MAGA is nothing but double standards can’t take what they dish out,” said one reply.
Over on X, the clip went viral as well.
“I love that this will follow him for at least the next four years, if not forever,” one X user said.
“Lmfao walk of embarrassment,” a second user wrote.
Unsurprisingly, conservatives argued in defense of Vance by referring to him as a “patriot” and not a “beggar” for aid like Zelensky.
The video fooled all political sides
But it turns out, there was no reason to argue at all, given that the clip was doctored.
In fact, the audio used in the clip of Vance was from the White House confrontation between a reporter and Zelensky, who has declined to wear a suit for as long as his country is at war in a show of solidarity with his people.
Vance was never asked about his clothes during last month’s trip to Greenland.
In other words, a handful of conservatives and liberals are arguing over an incident that isn’t even real.
Just another day on the internet in 2025.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.