‘Queer Eye’ Star Jonathan Van Ness Reacts to Being ‘Vilified’ in Trump Ad

Eboni Boykin-Patterson
Mon, October 7, 2024


Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/MAGA PAC

Queer Eye co-host Jonathan Van Ness had the “surreal” experience of seeing themself in a TV spot attacking Kamala Harris and “they/them” pronouns in support of Donald Trump on Monday—and they’re pretty “upset” about it.

“I saw myself in a Trump TV ad today and it’s surreal,” Van Ness wrote in a statement posted to their Instagram, adding that it was “kind of iconic, but mostly very unsettling.” Van Ness, who came out as nonbinary in 2019, is featured in a clip from the PAC ad where they’re chatting with VP Harris alongside another clip of Harris talking with drag queen Pattie Gonia. As the clips play, the narrator says, “Crazy liberal Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you.” The Trump campaign did not return The Daily Beast's request for comment.

“In this commercial, Trump vilified immigrants, trans people, and queer people generally,” Van Ness also wrote to Instagram. “Don’t think that these white nationalist Christian politicians aren’t a threat to you and vote like it.” Van Ness goes on to express support for Harris in the impending election.

“As a non-binary person, whenever I’m presented with a binary choice, I’m immediately leery. But in this election, it’s really about moving forward” and “trying to trust each other again,” they continued, versus “going backwards to a time where women needed their husband to open a checking account and where segregation was also a matter of ‘states rights.’”

Van Ness went on to call Trump an “authoritarian dictator who has absolute immunity from the Supreme Court” and encouraged their followers to “choose hope over fear.” The host and podcaster has been a vocal supporter of Harris since the VP sat down with the creators and cast of the Queer Eye series at the White House during Pride Month to speak about “progress” for the LGBTQ+ community.

After Joe Biden dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris over the summer, Van Ness expressed their support for her campaign, writing to Facebook, “I believe Vice President Harris will be President Harris! She has what it takes to lead an America that is safe, prosperous, and equitable for all!”