Conservatives mocked criticism of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s son-in-law, Republican congressional candidate Michael Alfonso, over old Venmo payments with suggestive captions, arguing the notes were being taken too literally as Alfonso called the criticism "wildly dishonest" and turned it into a fundraising pitch.
A post from the DNC’s social media account, FactPost, went viral this week after highlighting Venmo payments Alfonso made with notes reading "The strippers" and "High supplies." Alfonso responded by sharing screenshots of the payments and saying the captions were jokes.
"It’s wildly dishonest to leave out the part where the ‘strippers’ were $5 because—brace yourself—they obviously weren’t actual strippers. You can write literally anything in a Venmo note. This is called a joke—something the humorless left is incapable of comprehending," he wrote.
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"Patriots: I would be very grateful for $5 or any amount you can contribute to my campaign. None of the proceeds go to strippers or high supplies—only toward defeating the radical left in November," he wrote.
The exchange sparked a broader discussion about Venmo payment captions and the joking or unserious descriptions users may attach to payments, with conservatives arguing that Alfonso’s critics were reading too much into the notes.
"I have no idea if there is anything here. I do know that literally not one of my male friends has ever—ever—sent me a Venmo payment with a description that wasn't a joke," said National Review editor Charles C.W. Cooke.
"People thinking the Venmo comment line is an actual audit trail," wrote Wisconsin State Representative Calvin Callahan.
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"Yeah, because people who pay strippers totally put that truthfully in Venmo," said one user.
"BREAKING: boomers have discovered the Venmo comment section exists," said New York Post correspondent Lydia Moynihan.
"This is such a Gen Z ‘scandal’ I’m dying Buckle up, because every incoming member of Congress under 30 is going to have something like ‘heroin — $1’ in their Venmo history," Alfonso’s wife, Evita Duffy-Alfonso, wrote.
"The Left can’t meme, can’t take a joke, and then wonders why it keeps losing young men at the ballot box," she added.
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"One time my wife Venmoed a bunch of our friends for their share of an Airbnb with risqué captions, got banned from the app, and had to call customer service to explain it was just a joke. Unlike the media, Venmo understood and let it go," shared Daily Wire bureau chief Tim Rice.
The 26-year-old congressional candidate advanced Aug. 11 in a crowded GOP primary and is set to face Democrat Fred Clark in November.
Fox News Digital reached out to Alfonso for comment.
