JD Vance Fumbles—Literally!

Summary

Bulwark Takes Episode Summary: "JD Vance Fumbles—Literally!"

Release Date: April 15, 2025

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Introduction to the Emergency Pod [01:29]

In this episode of Bulwark Takes, hosts Tim Miller and Pablo Torre convene for an impromptu discussion following a particularly noteworthy incident involving JD Vance. The episode kicks off with Tim Miller setting the stage for an urgent conversation:

Tim Miller [01:29]: "Hey guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. And you know, look, I'm still at the hotel here, so we're doing an emergency pod because when something this veepish happens in the world of sports and politics and they intersect, I have to get Pablo Torre, my man from Pablo Torre finds out on to talk about it. What's going on, man?"

Pablo Torre responds humorously, highlighting the spontaneity of their discussion:

Pablo Torre [01:46]: "I had a choice. Do I start investigating this on Pablo Torre finds out immediately or do I text Tim Miller emergency pod in all caps. And I think you now know which one we've chosen."

JD Vance's Trophy Mishap [01:55 - 05:37]

The core of the episode revolves around JD Vance’s recent blunder during a trophy presentation at an Ohio State football event. Tim and Pablo dissect the incident, where Vance, an Ohio State alumnus and author, inadvertently fumbles the trophy, leading to its disintegration on live television.

Tim Miller [01:55]: "If you've missed it, here's JD Vance, pretend football fan from Ohio, with the Ohio State team raising the trophy they won the College Football playoff this year. Let's watch. I mean that is bad."

Pablo Torre takes a closer look at the video, suggesting multiple viewings to catch the finer details:

Pablo Torre [02:22]: "Pablo, what you got to do, okay, is take the video we're making and then you're going to rewind it many times because we're going to, we're going to point out some people that you should have an eye on. Okay?"

Analyzing Key Figures: Donald Trump and Ryan Day [02:31 - 06:53]

During their analysis, Tim and Pablo explore the reactions of other prominent figures present at the event, notably former President Donald Trump and Ohio State's head coach, Ryan Day.

Pablo critiques Trump’s demeanor during the event:

Pablo Torre [02:53]: "It's like what it looks like to be very politely nodding, as you sort of know better. I think you know better, and yet you're still politely nodding."

He further draws a parallel between Ryan Day’s presentation style and Rudy Giuliani’s infamous hair moments:

Pablo Torre [03:22]: "He is the most Giuliani of all of the coaches in, in sports."

Pablo Torre [03:33]: "Absolutely. The Giuliani. He is the most Giuliani of all of the coaches in, in sports."

Tim Miller adds a humorous observation about JD Vance’s handling of the trophy compared to Trump’s penchant for trophies:

Tim Miller [05:37]: "It's particularly perfect for Trump. I like how you focused in on Trump's face because, you know, Trump loves trophies. Trump cherishes trophies. Trump has a lot of fake trophies that he's given himself from his golf tournaments."

Intersection of Sports and Politics [06:03 - 08:00]

The conversation shifts to the broader implications of JD Vance’s mishap, particularly how it reflects the uneasy blend of sports and political personas.

Pablo highlights the presence of Vivek Ramaswamy and the lack of genuine sports credibility among some political figures:

Pablo Torre [04:12]: "Vivek Ramaswamy was also there that day, of course, like, trying to glom on to Ryan Day. And so you had these people who all cosplay as, like the bros, but have none of the credibility when held to the light of an actual sports fan."

Tim connects this incident to past moments where sports and political figures have clashed or interacted awkwardly:

Tim Miller [06:53]: "Yeah, he's a dork. JD's a dork. You know, I will. The other moment worth reflecting on for me is maybe the only good moment of the first Trump term, which was when LSU went to receive their trophy."

He references a previous event involving LSU’s trophy presentation, drawing parallels to JD Vance’s current situation:

Tim Miller [06:53]: "If you haven't seen it, we're about to show it right now of the woman doing the get the gat inside the White House. I mean, LSU just defiling the White House with. With. With Louisiana just fucking down home party atmosphere."

Humorous Insights and Memes [08:00 - 09:00]

As the discussion progresses, Tim and Pablo delve into the humorous potential of JD Vance’s blunder, speculating on its viral nature and meme-worthiness.

Pablo Torre [08:00]: "Just know that you have a high likelihood of being in a meme that you regret. That's all I'm saying. You're going to be in the background of something where you're like, you were that guy in the documentary. Now, maybe that's not a moral pressure I want to put on you, but just know that you have the high likelihood, if you choose to go to this house of horrors, that you're going to be that guy in the documentary and your kid's going to be like, you went to that. And you're going to have to say, yes, yes, I did."

Tim echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the inevitability of public ridicule:

Tim Miller [08:36]: "You're going to get memed. But also, you might be able to get laughed. Might be able to laugh at J.D. vance. So, you know, you win some, you lose some."

They both agree on the absurdity and memorability of the moment, with Tim sharing his personal reaction:

Tim Miller [08:36]: "I was at lunch, you know, heading to the airport, heading home, and I was like, you know, I should check my phone. And there's JD just fully humiliating himself. I'm glad that we could kind of memorialize it together."

Final Thoughts and Future Prospects [09:00 - End of Content]

As the episode winds down, Tim looks forward to future discussions, referencing JD Vance’s chances for redemption:

Pablo Torre [09:00]: "The next time he picks up a trophy, I'm gonna give you a call."

Tim Miller [09:04]: "Okay? See you, Pablo. Go check out his show. Pablo Torre finds out. We'll be back. Peace. Subscribe to the feed."

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Key Takeaways:

1. JD Vance’s Public Blunder: The episode centers on JD Vance’s clumsy mishandling of a trophy during an Ohio State football event, symbolizing a larger critique of his public persona.

2. Interplay Between Sports and Politics: Tim and Pablo explore how political figures like Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy intermingle with the sports world, often leading to awkward or inauthentic interactions.

3. Humor and Memes: The hosts emphasize the viral potential of such public gaffes, highlighting how they become fodder for memes and public ridicule.

4. Character Analysis: A significant portion of the discussion focuses on analyzing the personalities and public images of figures like Donald Trump and Ryan Day, drawing parallels to historical events and public perceptions.

5. Future Implications: The conversation hints at ongoing and future interactions between sports and political figures, suggesting that JD Vance’s mishap is part of a larger narrative.

Notable Quotes:

• Tim Miller [05:37]: "Trump cherishes trophies. Trump has a lot of fake trophies that he's given himself from his golf tournaments."

• Pablo Torre [04:12]: "Vivek Ramaswamy was also there that day, of course, like, trying to glom on to Ryan Day."

• Pablo Torre [08:00]: "You're going to have to say, yes, yes, I did."

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Conclusion

In "JD Vance Fumbles—Literally!", Bulwark Takes offers a sharp and humorous examination of a moment where sports and politics collide, resulting in public embarrassment for JD Vance. Through incisive analysis and witty banter, Tim Miller and Pablo Torre dissect the implications of such incidents, providing listeners with both entertainment and thoughtful commentary on the evolving relationship between political figures and the sports arena.

Transcript

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[Tim Miller]

Hey guys, it's Tim Miller from the Bulwark. And you know, look, I'm still at the hotel here, so we're doing an emergency pod because when something this veepish happens in the world of sports and politics and they intersect, I have to get Pablo Torre, my man from Pablo Torre finds out on to talk about it. What's going on, man?

[Pablo Torre]

I had a choice. Do I start investigating this on Pablo Torre finds out immediately or do I text Tim Miller emergency pod in all caps. And I think you now know which one we've chosen.

[Tim Miller]

We made the right choice. Okay, so if you've missed it, here's JD Vance, pretend football fan from Ohio, with the Ohio State team raising the trophy they they won the College Football playoff this year. Let's watch. I mean that is bad.

[Pablo Torre]

Pablo, what you got to do, okay, is take the video we're making and then you're going to rewind it many times because we're going to, we're going to point out some people that you should have an eye on. Okay?

[Tim Miller]

Okay.

[Pablo Torre]

So first off, I think you just watch Trump. Just watch Trump. Because Donald Trump is not loving it, actually. Imagine Tim just being him. Watching that guy drop the metaphor of what it means to be impressive on the floor, breaking it, that, that I just started with. I don't know who you looked at, but I looked at him and laughed very hard.

[Tim Miller]

Oh, no. I was pretty focused on JD's humiliation, so I was like micro, micro focusing on JD and just him realizing he was Selena Meyer in that moment.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, Ryan Day, I think, looking like kind of like Marco Rubio in these meetings about deportations, like, in front of the president of El Salvador. It looks like Ryan Day is kind of simulating what it looks like to be very politely nodding, as you sort of know better. I think you know better, and yet you're still politely nodding.

[Tim Miller]

You also can't have too big of too many fast movements with Ryan Day because you don't want that hair dye, you know, to start leaking down, down the face. You don't want a Rudy Giuliani moment if you're Ryan Day.

[Pablo Torre]

Absolutely. The Giuliani. He is the most Giuliani of all of the coaches in, in sports. And also, by the way, like, I was watching this because of course, it's like Vivek Ramaswamy. I don't think he was on stage, he was off camera, I think. But he was also there that day, of course, like, trying to glom on to Ryan Day. And so you had these people who all cosplay as, like the bros, but have none of the credibility when held to the light of an actual sports fan. And you're like, wait a minute, this is fully translucent. There's nothing here. There's nothing inside this.

[Tim Miller]

Can you name a player? Name me some Cincinnati Bengals. Vivek, I, you know, mean to you.

[Pablo Torre]

So. So the legend, by the way, AJ Green, the legend was merely that they would. Jd, Vance and Vivek, when they were, like, in grad school together, would, like, get together and watch Bengals Games on Sunday. 1. One more source before we do the thing. By the way, when you look at the back row of the players, the current players whose names they definitely don't know. And there's just one guy who can't control himself and turns around laughing. And before that guy gets deported to El Salvador, I just want you to know that that is the exact right reaction to what you just saw happen.

[Tim Miller]

I have a new favorite. Ohio State Buckeye. You've watched a lot of trophy ceremonies, Pablo. Have you ever seen a collapse like this? Have you ever seen a. I guess I understand that the trophy maybe is in two parts. So is that what was happening here? Do we know the fundamentals.

[Pablo Torre]

Having never seen this happen before, I can't totally tell you the fundamentals of how the trophy should be handled, because no one has ever broken it before. That would be the investigation. In fairness to J.D. vance, I'd like to pursue, however, the confidence that, yeah, of course, I'm just gonna go pick this thing up and then for it to fall apart immediately. And you dropping one of those parts as the other part is cradled, as if you have become a child whose dad needs to make sure that he knows how to hold the football right. All of this. All of this was just. It was perfect.

[Tim Miller]

It's particularly perfect for Trump. I like how you focused in on Trump's face because, you know, Trump loves trophies. Trump cherishes trophies. Trump has a lot of fake trophies that he's given himself from his golf tournaments. And so, like, this is like a symbol that is meaningful, you know, to the. To the masculine, you know, Trump, whatever imagery, hagiography. And JD just being the former fat kid that just ruins it is really. Is really kind of amusing.

[Pablo Torre]

In particular, I remembered immediately that video from earlier this year where Donald Trump is hosting. I believe it's Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, who brings in a ridiculously ornate golden trophy. And there are parts that spin. And Trump is treating this like he is showing everybody. Yeah. Like, look, look at. Look, look inside the pyramid that I have.

[Tim Miller]

Right. It's the Mona Lisa Gaze.

[Pablo Torre]

Gaze upon my works, ye mighty, and despair. It's just like the most sincere awe I've ever seen him in is in this thing, which he wants to keep at the White House. And so the trophy and what it means to Donald Trump is. Yeah, I just. It just. It just. It continues. The thing, I think he's thinking to himself, which is he knows that JD doesn't have the juice. No, he knows it. He knows that. He's. This is just the latest example.

[Tim Miller]

Yeah, he's a dork. JD's a dork. You know, I will. The other moment worth reflecting on for me is maybe the only good moment of the first Trump term, which was when LSU went to receive their trophy. And we have the famous video. If you haven't seen it, we're about to show it right now of the woman doing the get the gat inside the White House. I mean, LSU just defiling the White House with. With. With Louisiana just fucking down home party atmosphere. Let's watch. So there you go. That's how you celebrate. All right. No, no, goofy. You know, we're not. We're not dropping things. We don't. We don't have Rudy Giuliani hair dye on. You know, it's just fudgeing gumbo and dirty south rap.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, we are seeing, by the way, the return to the White House be totally back in vogue. And I get it. I'm not here to actually tell people, Tim, like, you shouldn't go visit if you're Ohio State.

[Tim Miller]

You shouldn't go visit if you're in Ohio State. You shouldn't have now, but what I.

[Pablo Torre]

Am saying what I am saying because I don't want to look, I'll let you say that part. I got to be the sports guy.

[Tim Miller]

I hear you. Yeah, it's just.

[Pablo Torre]

It's just I recognize. I recognize that you're going to get people who are absolutely uninterested in everything I've ever said. And so I just want to acknowledge those people. Cool. Go do what you want to do. Just know that you have a high likelihood of being in a meme that you regret. That's all I'm saying. You're going to be in the background of something where you're like, you were that guy in the documentary. Now, maybe that's not a moral pressure I want to put on you, but just know that you have the high likelihood, if you choose to go to this house of horrors, that you're going to be that guy in the documentary and your kid's going to be like, you went to that. And you're going to have to say, yes, yes, I did.

[Tim Miller]

You're going to get memed. But also, you might be able to get laughed. Might be able to laugh at J.D. vance. So, you know, you win some, you lose some. Pablo, it's so good to just share this moment with you. I was at lunch, you know, heading to the airport, heading home, and I was like, you know, I should check my phone. And there's JD just fully humiliating himself. I'm glad that we could kind of memorialize it together.

[Pablo Torre]

The next time he picks up a trophy, I'm gonna give you a call.

[Tim Miller]

Okay? See you, Pablo. Go check out his show. Pablo Torre finds out. We'll be back. Peace. Subscribe to the feed.

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