Former MSNBC host Joy Reid claimed on Don Lemon’s show that Vice President JD Vance benefited from affirmative action to get into Yale Law School due to his Appalachian background. Reid argued that Yale sought diversity beyond race, including geography and socioeconomic status, and cited herself as a beneficiary of affirmative action.
Vance responded on X with the meme below, dismissing Reid’s comments. The exchange went viral, with Vance’s meme receiving over 137,000 likes and 1 million views.
This incident reflects Vance’s consistent opposition to DEI initiatives, which he has labeled discriminatory. The discussion ties into recent debates over affirmative action, intensified by the Supreme Court’s decision to end race-conscious admission programs, highlighting ongoing tensions over how elite institutions admit students and the role of legacy admissions.
JOY REID: “JD Vance got into Yale because they were tired of just letting in white men from New York … from all the elite schools. They wanted an Appalachian white. That's how that man got into Yale, I promise you … That's also affirmative action and DEI.” pic.twitter.com/E69jgcotJx
— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) September 24, 2025
Vance’s response? Humor.
https://t.co/agmI0CLpQs pic.twitter.com/NuCp7NfiqS
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 24, 2025