"Be honest with yourself, who really likes turkey?" the vice president asked, to cheers.
By David Moye
JD Vance decided the day before Thanksgiving was a perfect time to tell the world his culinary preferences ― and turkey farmers probably won’t be pleased.
The vice president visited Fort Campbell on the Kentucky-Tennessee border on Wednesday to meet members of the military and serve them an early holiday meal with the help of his wife, Usha, daughter Mirabel, and sons Ewan and Vivek.
At one point, Vance got up to make a few remarks after Kid Rock introduced him as “someone I do hope to call our 48th president one day.”
Although most of Vance’s remarks contained the typical patriotic fare, he did take issue with the dish that is famously the centerpiece of most Americans’ Thanksgiving meals: turkey.
“Thanksgiving, what we celebrate tomorrow, that is a uniquely American thing,” he added, not quite accurately. “That’s why, for example, we have, you know, turkey.”
“Think about turkey,” he continued, before taking the speech in an unexpected direction.
“Who really likes ― be honest with yourselves — who really likes turkey?” he asked, prompting some soldiers in the audience to cheer.
“You’re all full of shit. Everybody who raised your hands,” Vance replied.
“I know. Think about it. And here’s how I know that every single one of you who raised your hand is lying to me. How many times do you roast an 18-pound turkey just randomly? Just, you know, a nice summer afternoon, we’re gonna go get an 18-pound turkey. Nobody does it, because turkey doesn’t actually taste that good.”
But then Vance got patriotic again. “On the most American holiday, we’re gonna cook a turkey, by God, because that’s what Americans do,” he said. “We cook this gigantic American bird, and we do all kinds of crazy things to make it taste good.”
Vance told the crowd he planned to deep-fry a turkey on Thursday, and used that anecdote to once again bash the bird.
“Here’s the thing,” he added. “If you’ve gotta deep-fry something to make it taste good, it probably isn’t that good. That’s a pretty good rule of thumb when it comes to food. Chicken is good all the time. Chicken is good when you deep fry it, but it’s also good outside of it.”
Vance is, of course, entitled to his food opinions, but people on social media had a bone to pick with his turkey taunts.
@
AuroraO83
Replying to @Acyn
The turkey farmers must be thrilled with this messaging.
@
michell71078349
Replying to @Acyn
I love turkey he’s a freak
@
mamaSissieSays
Replying to @Acyn
“How you know you’re at white ppl thanksgiving”
@kushibo
Replying to @Acyn
Okay, setting aside that the Thielbot 3000 is shitting ALL OVER America with this statement, his logic is bollocks: I love turkey, genuinely love it, but just because I don’t have time or energy to roast an 18-pound turkey at random doesn’t mean I’m lying. What an imbecile.
@HMilne57
Replying to @Acyn
He's actually starting to sound like Trump. Folie a deux? Been around Trump too long? Trying to play the fool since it works so well for Trump? Eeeek.
@nsedef
Replying to @Acyn
This is the most serious disagreement i’ve had with this fool.
Turkey is 1,000% more flavorful than chicken, which only tastes good if its dark meat. Ask any top-ranked chef.
It’s why all white meat chicken dishes smother it in sauces of some kind.
@
julesMoffit
Replying to @Acyn
This how you know this man has only ever had dry ass turkey
@
trumpPedophile2
Replying to @Acyn
Turkey has a much higher approval rating than Trump/Vance.