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Vice President JD Vance shared a meme of congressional Democrats attending a candlelight vigil Tuesday marking the fifth anniversary of Jan. 6, reposting content that added sombreros to images of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as they held candles on the steps of the U.S. Capitol.
Vance posted the image from his verified X account without commentary, showing Democratic leaders, including Schumer and Jeffries, prominently from a video clip below.
The original video clip was posted by the “End Wokeness” X account, which had the caption: “BREAKING: Congressional Dems just held a candlelit vigil to honor the 5th January 6th anniversary.”
The vigil itself featured remarks from Schumer and Jeffries, who described the ceremony as an effort to remember the events of the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol, and honor law enforcement officers and others who died in connection with the riot.
WHITE HOUSE TORCHES DEMOCRATS’ JAN 6 ‘GASLIGHTING’ CLAIMS IN ANNIVERSARY TAKEDOWN
Congressional Democrats hosted a Jan. 6 candlelight vigil on the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. (Pool)
“We are here today because we must never forget what happened on Jan. 6 five years ago,” Schumer said, adding that future generations should remember it. “The day democracy was placed at greater risk than it has been in a century, and more than a century.”
Schumer recalled being evacuated during the breach, saying he and others were “within 20 feet of those rioters of those insurrectionists” as they were moved to safety.
“On Jan. 6, our Capitol Police officers were heroes. Our DC police were heroes,” Schumer said. “…We will make sure that your sacrifices that day are never forgotten, nor will we ever, ever forget the lives of those we lost in the connection with the attack.”
Jeffries called Jan. 6 a “violent insurrection incited by Donald Trump to overturn the results of a free and fair election” and praised law enforcement who defended the Capitol.
“We owe these heroes an eternal debt of gratitude and will never forget their service and their sacrifice,” Jeffries said.
JD VANCE RESPONDS TO HAKEEM JEFFRIES’ CLAIM SOMBRERO MEME IS ‘RACIST’
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other members of Congress gather at Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, kneel as they take a moment of silence to honor George Floyd, and victims of racial injustice on Monday, June 8, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Jeffries later asked attendees to observe a moment of silence “to remember those whose lives were lost as a result of the tragic and horrific events of Janu. 6, 2021.”
Following the moment of silence, attendees sang “God Bless America,” with Schumer’s voice carrying above the group.
Vance did not reference the victims or the vigil’s remarks in his repost, instead sharing the altered image without commentary.
Some social media users who supported the repost framed it as criticism of what they described as political theater rather than an attack on the victims of Jan. 6.
“These people and their theater antics are so embarrassing,” one user wrote in response to the post. “I’d laugh more often at them were it not for the very real authoritarian danger they pose which hides in plain sight.”
Another commenter criticized Democratic leadership for focusing on symbolic gestures rather than governance, writing, “I wish they put the same effort into their states and cities.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speak in the House Chamber, Jan. 6, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)
Democrat leaders have previously faced criticism from conservative commentators over what they described as performative displays during moments of national tension.
In 2020, several lawmakers, including then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., drew attention for kneeling while wearing traditional Ghanaian Kente cloth stoles during Capitol events following the death of George Floyd; actions that were praised by supporters and criticized by opponents as political theater.
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Variations of the sombrero meme targeting Jeffries have circulated online since the federal government shutdown last year amid criticism of Democratic leadership. The imagery has since reemerged periodically in online political satire.
Vance’s, Schumer’s and Jeffries’ offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
