In the wake of the tragic floods in Texas that occurred in early July 2025, a stream of rumors and misinformation about the aftermath of the disaster hit social media. One such rumor alleged that U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a social media post lamenting the loss of an expensive couch during the flooding.
Users across social media platforms like Facebook (archived), X (archived) and Instagram (archived) shared an alleged screenshot of Vance's post, which included an image of a living room flooded by water along with Vance's supposed statement that read, "Of all the devastating images coming out of Texas, this is the one that gutted me. That is an $8,000 sectional imported from Italy. Look at the exceptional craftsmanship, its gorgeous form, exquisite upholstery. A true work of art. An unspeakable loss."
JD is devastated. pic.twitter.com/aT5FwEjlQh
— Joe G (@EastEndJoe) July 9, 2025
However, the supposed screenshot is fake. There is no evidence that Vance ever made such a post on any of his social media accounts.
Further, the image shared along with the alleged post from Vance can be found in Adobe's stock photo database, which confirmed the image was generated with artificial intelligence (AI).
On Adobe's website the fake image was titled "Flooded modern furniture in the house" and featured a description that read "Generated with AI — Editorial use must not be misleading or deceptive."
A reverse image search for the AI-generated image on Google revealed that the website of First National Bank in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, featured the same image on a webpage about acquiring flood insurance.
The claim in question was an intentional reference to previously debunked rumors, memes and jokes circulating around the 2024 presidential election that alleged Vance wrote in his memoir that he once had sex with a couch.
While Vance did not post about a couch on July 5, 2025, he did offer a statement on X (archived) for the victims of the Texas floods that said: "Our nation's heart breaks for the victims in Texas and their families. Just an incomprehensible tragedy. I hope everyone affected knows they're in the prayers of my family, and of millions of Americans."
Vance concluded his post with a recitation of the Catholic Eternal Rest Prayer.