Vice President JD Vance has hit back at critics who insult his wife, Usha Vance, telling them they can “eat s***.” In an interview with UnHerd published on Monday, Vance said, “Anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s***. That’s my official policy as vice president of the United States.”
Jen Psaki, a former White House press secretary, questioned on a podcast last October whether Usha Vance might need “rescuing” from her husband. Far-right streamer Nick Fuentes, who has openly identified as a racist and expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler, has referred to the second lady as a “jeet” and labelled Vance a “race-traitor” for marrying her. Vance downplayed Fuentes’ influence, stating that his importance within Republican politics is “vastly overstated.”
Vance also used the interview to address antisemitism within the GOP. “Antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred have no place in the conservative movement,” he said. “Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting.” His comments echoed earlier remarks to NBC News, where he disagreed with claims that antisemitism is “exploding” on the right.
The debate over antisemitism and Israel featured prominently at Turning Point USA’s annual conference last week, attended by Vance, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Shapiro accused some MAGA influencers of platforming extremists, while Carlson warned against “deplatforming and denouncing” those accused of bigotry, stating that the rush to sideline such voices was the primary reason he voted for Donald Trump.
Vance sought to minimise divisions within the party, rejecting “purity tests” on the right. “Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of free thinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their word from George Soros?” he said, encouraging his supporters not to be discouraged by infighting.
