PoliticsJ.D. Vance Takes Aim at 'Crazy Lady' Democrat After Embarrassing Mistake
After a humiliating gaffe during a sparsely attended speech, J.D. Vance joked about the 'crazy lady' Dem whose name he forgot.
May 8 2026, Published 11:51 a.m. ET
Vice President J.D. Vance experienced an embarrassingly awkward campaign moment in Des Moines, Iowa, on Tuesday, May 5, stalling his speech for 20 seconds to find notes on Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott.
Vance, while attempting to criticize Garriott and support Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, forgot her name, asked for help and later referred to her as a "crazy lady.”
During a campaign stop at Ex-Guard Industries, Vance aimed to make fun of Trone Garriott but lost his place in his notes.
J.D. Vance forgot a woman's name during his speech.
“When I see Iowa farmers who need to get that E-15 to market, what is, uhh. What is, uhh...” the vice president said, stumbling before an awkwardly long pause.
He paused mid-speech, telling the crowd, "Zach, you’re gonna have to help me out with her name here; I lost my page here.”
“OK. Alright,” Vance continued. “OK, there we go. Sarah Trone Garriott. There it is. I’m, I’m on the wrong page here.”
The 20-second pause resulted in booing and, according to reports, visible frustration from the sparse crowd.
Trone Garriott responded via social media.
Trone Garriott responded via social media, noting she was holding a town hall and criticizing the Republican ticket's policies.
“Tonight, J.D. Vance attacked me… or tried to. Meanwhile, I’m showing up for the people of this district,” she wrote on X.
“Zach Nunn is too afraid to face his constituents and is instead campaigning with DC insiders, attacking me, because there’s nothing good to say about his record of taking away healthcare and raising costs on Iowans,” Trone Garriott said in a video message.
Following the incident, Vance posted a 49-second highlight reel of his visit on X, writing: “Iowa, vote for Zach Nunn this November, not that crazy lady whose name I forgot.”
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J.D. Vance called the woman 'crazy.'
As polling shows Vance as historically the least popular vice president at this stage of their tenure, with net approval ratings significantly underwater, this wasn’t his first and only cringe-inducing gaffe.
Vance was criticized for the cover of his upcoming memoir, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith. The book, which details his conversion to Catholicism, inadvertently featured a United Methodist church on the front.
J.D. Vance might run for president in 2028.
In August 2025, Vance was hit with a Community Note on X after falsely claiming that negotiations had ended World War II. This claim drew sharp rebukes for failing to acknowledge the Allies' demand for unconditional surrender.
During a White House visit by the Ohio State football team in April 2025, Vance was handed the National Championship Trophy and accidentally dropped it, causing it to break. While he caught the base, the top half had to be saved by a nearby player.
While Vance remains the frontrunner for the 2028 GOP presidential nomination, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has surged into a strong second place.
