"Turkey Isn't Tasty, Chicken Is the Best"... Vice President Vance's Joke Leaves Audience Cold

US Vice President Champions "Chicken Praise Theory"

JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, has drawn attention for remarks that seemed to disparage the taste of turkey, a traditional Thanksgiving dish, while praising chicken.

JD Vance, the Vice President of the United States, is giving a speech in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, on the 26th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

On the day before Thanksgiving, November 26 (local time), Vice President Vance gave a speech at an event for soldiers and their families held at Fort Campbell, an Army base on the border of Kentucky and Tennessee. During his remarks, he expressed what could be called a "turkey disparagement theory" and a "chicken praise theory." He asked, "Honestly, does anyone really like turkey?" When a few attendees raised their hands, he responded, "Everyone who raised their hand is talking nonsense."

Vice President Vance continued, "I know that everyone who raised their hand is lying to me," and pointed out, "Turkey actually doesn't taste that good." He added, "People do all sorts of strange things to try to make it taste good," and said, "If you have to fry it to make it tasty, that means the ingredient itself doesn't have much flavor." In contrast, about chicken, he said, "It's always delicious," and added, "It's tasty when fried as chicken, but it's also good when cooked in other ways."

Although Vice President Vance appeared to be trying to lighten the mood with stand-up comedy-style humor, reports indicated that the audience reaction was cold. Few attendees resonated with his jokes, so the atmosphere at the event was somewhat awkward.

The American online media outlet The Daily Beast assessed that Vice President Vance's attempt at humor "ended in failure." The outlet cited reactions from users of the social networking service X (formerly Twitter), with comments such as, "I've never seen a vice president self-destruct on stage like that," and "Honestly, the turkey has more charisma than Vice President Vance."