Vice President JD Vance gave his home a Hogwarts makeover for Halloween, dressing as Albus Dumbledore in a playful transformation by the second-highest-ranking official in the country.
Vance and President Donald Trump both marked the holiday. At a Halloween gathering at Mar-a-Lago, however, Trump joked that he had gone as himself.
Vance shared a family photo in his Dumbledore costume, alongside his baby son Alec, who was dressed as Dobby the House Elf.
Ewan, Vance and Usha’s eldest son, took on the role of Harry Potter, while their two other children wore different Halloween costumes.
Vance also posted a video with his baby elf on social media, sending followers a Halloween greeting.
“Hey guys, Vice President Dumbledore here, with little Dobby the Elf, wishing you a Happy Halloween. Have fun, be safe, eat a lot of candy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Trump appeared delighted to be away from the campaign trail as he celebrated Halloween at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night.
His costume, though, was a familiar one that many people have seen him wear year after year.
JD Vance posed for a family photo in his Dumbledore costume, while his baby son Alec dressed as Dobby the House Elf
JD Vance and President Donald Trump celebrated Halloween, with Trump joking at a Mar-a-Lago gathering that he had dressed as himself
“I’ve spent nine hours getting ready,” Trump joked. “I had ten minutes, so I came as Donald Trump tonight! Hello everybody.”
Vance also became a viral sensation last Halloween after dressing as one of the many online versions of himself.
Since Vance won the 2024 election as Trump’s running mate, social media has filled with exaggerated and frequently AI-generated caricatures of the 41-year-old politician.
Among the best-known versions is “Fat JD,” a chubby, rosy-cheeked depiction of Vance with long, curly hair.
In a clip shared online, the vice president opened his front door and told viewers: “Happy Halloween, kids. And remember, say thank you.”
The video then showed him spinning repeatedly with an eerie smile as the theme from The Twilight Zone played.
The meme emerged after the shocking confrontation involving Vance, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
A conservative journalist said at the time that Vance had seen the memes and found them amusing—a reaction that his Halloween antics appeared to reinforce.
Vice President JD Vance transformed his home into Hogwarts for Halloween before taking on the role of Dumbledore
Donald Trump speaks with members of the press as he arrives for a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach
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Even those who disagree with Vance’s politics found his costume endearing since he appears willing to poke fun at himself.
JD, 41, and Usha, 40, share four children: Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, Mirabel, 4, and now Alec.
Usha has said that one of the challenges was making sure that each of the other three children got personal time with their parents amid their chaotic schedules.
Vance announced Alec’s birth in July.
Alec’s birth marked a historic milestone for the executive branch – the first time in 156 years that a sitting vice president has welcomed a child in office.
‘Thank you for all the good wishes as we settle into life as a family of six,’ the Second Lady wrote in a post on social media accompanied by darling family photos.
Usha added at the time: ‘Meet Alec — and enjoy these attempts at taking a decent family photo with four kids!’
A source familiar with the family confirmed it’s been a joyful time for the family, who are looking forward to making memories together and enjoying these early days with their newest addition.
The three family photos shared by the Second Lady show the young family dressed in outfits fit for a Sunday church service, a close-up of newborn Alec in a blue onesie and the siblings adoring their new baby brother.
Pictured: Vice President JD Vance wears a long-haired wig in the style of the AI-generated caricatures of himself that have been gracing social media for months
Pictured: The meme Vance was replicating with his costume
‘Congratulations! A perfect baby boy for the wonderful Vance family,’ President Donald Trump wrote on social media, sharing the first photo of the newborn.
That image showed Alec’s older brother Vivek holding him in the hospital as Mirabel looked on smiling.
The last time an incumbent Second Family added a newborn to their ranks was in 1870, when Schuyler Colfax, VP to Ulysses S. Grant, and his wife Ellen had a son.
Usha and JD first announced that they were expecting their fourth child in January.
Vance revealed in his memoir Communion this year that the couple had decided against more children because of the pressures of public life, until the assassination of his close friend Charlie Kirk last fall changed Usha’s mind.
‘Something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy. One life was stolen from us, but another was given,’ he wrote.
Usha has said Erika Kirk’s regret about not having more children with her murdered husband was ‘very powerful’ but not the deciding factor.
‘I think I had already started to open my mind to the possibility,’ she told CBS Sunday Morning.