Vance accidentally says 'fart left' at North Carolina rally

Vice President JD Vance accidentally referred to the "far left" as the "fart left" during a campaign rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Monday, September 21, 2026. The verbal slip occurred as Vance was urging supporters to back Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley in a race against former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper. Speaking at the Koury Convention Center, Vance was criticizing Cooper's record when he misspoke. "And because we need somebody who will fight back against the fart left, we need Michael Whatley in the United States Senate," Vance said. He immediately caught the error and addressed the crowd. "Now, you may not have even heard that, but I actually, I usually don't misspeak, but I just called them the fart left, not the far left," Vance said, smiling. "I promise that was an accident." The clarification prompted laughter from the audience. Vance then extended his explanation, stating, "So to the fake news who will accuse me of bad language, I promise I did not mean to call them the fart left. I meant to call them the far left." The moment was captured on video and quickly circulated online.