Politician's speech lifts line from The American President

moviesAug 31, 202616702

Multiple social posts identify JD Vance as quoting a near‑verbatim line from The American President. The line matches President Andrew Shepherd's 1995 press conference speech in which Shepherd says, "Being President of this country is entirely about character" and continues through the ACLU and flag‑burning passages. The movie text on americanrhetoric.com shows Michael Douglas's Shepherd delivering those exact phrases while defending Sydney Ellen Wade. Posters named Aaron Sorkin as the script author and contrasted Michael Douglas's delivery with Vance's. Some posts also referenced previous politicians, including Ted Cruz, who they said used similar Sorkin lines in public remarks. The immediate result on social feeds was widespread identification of the film source and calls that Vance had lifted the wording rather than originated it.

Gillian Brockell

@gillianbrockell.com

This is hilarious, and but also, Vance stole that line from Michael Douglas in “The American President.” Truly the most substance-less guy in politics.

"DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY WIFE" has to be one of the funniest responses you could possibly have to the joke "You like to fuck couches".

Brian Finucane7

Bill Clinton used a version of it against Jerry Brown in 1992

Kenneth W Lewis 🇺🇦 🇬🇱2

JD Vance, that Casanova of the couch, that Lothario of the love seat, that Don Juan of the futon. Everything he says is couched in innuendo. Or Naugahyde.

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Also El-Sayed is a handsome doctor. I don't think anyone's out of his league

@rini1983.bsky.social

Did he seriously just try to parrot The American President? Because Michael Douglas is way way way out of his league.

Just rewatched that movie, and yes, yes he did. But with far less genuine emotion than President Shepherd or Michael Douglas! ❤️

dfortytwo.bsky.social2

The irony is that JD Vance is clearly way closer to Bob Rumson.

@chrislongview.bsky.social

this is from the American President with Usha subbed in for Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Benning).

@lauraolin.bsky.social

He’s literally copping from The American President, word for word. Go off, President Shepherd, give us nothing

@laurenmorrill.bsky.social

Looks like he watched The American President last night and it gave him the zoomies

So that's who we are

@wasserl.bsky.social

He was so eager to use that line from the movie American President rhat he jumped on the couch thing mistakenly.

@dabenner.bsky.social

JD Vance obsessive re-watcher of The American President (Reiner, 1995) confirmed

@cherylprice.bsky.social

Trying to rip off The American President? What a douche.

@samyoungman.bsky.social

lol isn’t this from the American president? Couch boy rips off Sorkin

@redsoxhuskies.bsky.social

Did he pay Aaron Sorkin to use that line? It's straight out of the movie The American President

@atimaomara.bsky.social

This feels like a line out of American President, where Michael Douglas as President defends his gf played by Annette Benning to the opposition…🤔

bcartwright.bsky.social

@bcartwright.bsky.social

They're all cribbing from "The American President." They're trying to do Aaron Sorkin. Ted Cruz did this too.

@then1ckster.bsky.social

This is just a line from The American President. Literally, it’s what Shepard says to Rumsen about Sydney Ellen Wade during the climatic speech.

@adambstrassberg.bsky.social

FWIW he stole this line from Aaron Sorkin’s American President script.

jonathanlatimer.bsky.social

@jonathanlatimer.bsky.social

JD Vance is quoteing "The American President" and thinks no one will notice.

1 source

americanrhetoric.comThe American President - President Andrew Shepherd's Press Conference

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