JD Vance's Upcoming Gig With Erika Kirk Isn't Doing His Lazy Reputation Any Favors

Even before the government shutdown began on October 1, 2025, JD Vance's reputation was dinged by a lack of productivity. Unlike some of his predecessors, Vance has been taking frequent, lavish vacations at the pace of approximately one trip a month. Besides kicking back, Vance has also spent a lot of time on podcasts. While it makes sense that Vance would appear as an occasional guest, his decision to host Charlie Kirk's show looked more like a career pivot to some people. Now, Vance has another side gig that'll be taking him away from his VP role yet again. On October 29, 2025, the vice president is traveling to Mississippi with Erika Kirk to headline a Turning Point USA event.

Not surprisingly, Vance's announcement caused some eyerolls. "You'd think the Vice President of the United States has better things to do than argue with college students," remarked one poster on X, formerly Twitter. Some offered suggestions for how Vance could be more productive at his VP job. "Go meet the most famous people on earth, go to national security meetings, you have the best job EVER," wrote one. 

However, not everyone's convinced that Vance is shirking his responsibilities. "He's doing exactly what he was chosen to do, absolutely nothing between senate tie breaking votes and being a yes man who will do anything trump wants," snarked one X user. Others have also countered that past VPs haven't necessarily produced visible accomplishments, either.

Historically, the vice-presidential role was all about being available if a president died, and heading up the Senate. However, just like a lot of jobs have "other duties as described," VPs have expanded their responsibilities, depending on the desires of their boss. For instance, it's only in the last hundred years that VPs have shown up at cabinet meetings.

JD Vance seems to have his own take on his vice-presidential job requirements, and ironically, he doesn't think he's been shirking his day job. He's also begun touting his desire to increase his social media presence. "I got a little lazy the last few months. I was focused on the job of being VP, not enough on TikToks," Vance proclaimed on TikTok in October 2025. "That's about to change . . . we'll update you on what's going on politically."

Monthly vacations aside, Vance asserts that his job is so busy he doesn't have time to be a family man. During an August 2025 appearance on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Vance explained that he spends a lot of time talking on the phone, even in the middle of the night. Despite the inconsistent hours, Vance praised his flexible schedule, telling Miller, "Unless the president needs me to do something, I have complete control over my schedule." However, to help his public performance review, Vance may want to restructure his time with fewer trips/podcasts, or use his appearances to specifically tout his job accomplishments.