JD Vance has recently paid a visit to the troops at the U.S. military bade in Virginia, and people have mixed reactions to it. Many have praised the Vice President for spending time with the Marines this week, while some have pointed out his “questionable behavior” while having a meal at the base.
On the internet, people criticized the U.S. VP for breaking a tradition, while others have come to his defense with counter-arguments.
Vance’s trip to the U.S. military base in Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia happened before his Greenland visit was cut short due to a backlash from the locals over the original itinerary that was planned without consulting him. While many found his military base tour relatable, one particular clip went viral on social media, sparking a controversy.
In the video, JD Vance is seen sitting down with the Marines to have lunch. He bought his lunch tray and sat among the troops with a smile. He was wearing a red cap with the text “ONCE A MARINE, ALWAYS A MARINE.” As a veteran, it was his way of showing support. However, some pointed out a major mistake; an X (formerly Twitter) user wrote that he should have “removed his cover” before having an indoor meal with the troops, indicating how he was still wearing the red hat during lunch.
According to tradition, soldiers must remove a cap or hat when entering a room. Vance, not doing so, has sparked a debate on the internet, as some insisted he didn’t need to follow the same rule. One user commented under the original X post, “Since he’s not in uniform, the cover rule doesn’t apply. The only rule applicable here is ‘Mama’s’ rule: take your hat off at the table. Guess Memaw wasn’t to strict on this one.”
Remove that cover, boy. https://t.co/WhukMKq8In
— Jax Persists (@LadyJayPersists) March 27, 2025
The person who originally called out Vance over it fired back, “If I was wearing a hat out of uniform, I was still required to remove the hat while indoors. The ‘proper’ defense would be he’d a civilian, but even then, it is customary to remove it as a show of respect.”
Another user commented, “I’m a former Marine and I eat indoors with a hat on. He’s no longer on active duty.” To which, one person replied, “He’s the VP, the second in command of all armed forces and helping coordinate troop movements. That’s not a civilian status. Those troops salute him when he enters a room, they don’t do that for me.”
He’s the VP, the second in command of all armed forces and helping coordinate troop movements.
That’s not a civilian status. Those troops salute him when he enters a room, they don’t do that for me.
— We Are The Left (@weare_theleft) March 28, 2025
Another simply noted, “I agree, my thought is he kept it on for security, so they know where he is at all times.” The debate over whether he should have removed his red hat continued throughout the whole comment section, as the post itself garnered over 30,000 like and 1 million views at the time of writing.
It is to be noted that JD Vance is not a stranger to being around Marines. According to Task & Purpose, he enlisted in 2003 as a military journalist, formally known as a combat correspondent. and served until 2007.
In late 2005, he was also deployed to Iraq for six months to write stories about the troops and escort the civilian press.
