Ohio Senator JD Vance, who’s currently the GOP’s vice-presidential candidate, recently faced questions about racist taunts directed at his wife, Usha Vance, particularly from far-right figure Nick Fuentes, who has connections to former President Donald Trump.
Fuentes is known for his controversial statements and his association with white nationalism, as flagged by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He gained attention for his past involvement in events like the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally and has been banned from various social media platforms due to his incendiary remarks.
In a recent livestream, Fuentes criticized Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate, suggesting that having a wife of Indian descent made Vance less likely to “defend white identity.”
During an interview on ABC News’ This Week, host Jonathan Karl brought up these comments. He highlighted Fuentes’ derogatory statement about Usha’s name, labeling it as “racist garbage,” to which Vance agreed.
Karl pointed out Fuentes’ prior dinner with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, which raised eyebrows in the political realm. Trump has faced backlash before for dining with rap artist Ye and Fuentes back in 2022, but he insisted he was unaware of Fuentes’ notoriety at that time.
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Vance emphasized that Trump doesn’t endorse Fuentes and expressed pride in his wife, stating, “What kind of man marries Usha? A very smart man and a very lucky man.” He also dismissed Fuentes’ attacks, focusing instead on his own political views.
Since Vance’s announcement as Trump’s running mate at the Republican National Convention, there has been a surge of racist backlash against Usha’s Indian heritage within certain far-right factions online. Some critics fear that Usha’s influence could lead to a softer stance on immigration.
Vance confidently stated, “If they want to attack me, fine, but don’t go after my wife—she’s out of your league.” He reiterated that while he values Trump’s openness to different people, it doesn’t imply agreement with all their viewpoints. He trusts Trump’s rapport with Usha, insisting, “I’m not at all worried about Donald Trump.”
During the interview, Vance acknowledged that it’s part of the political landscape to deal with such attacks. He concluded with confidence in his wife’s resilience and reminded viewers that politics should center around him, not personal attacks on family.
JD Vance on Trump dining with white supremacist Nick Fuentes, who made racist comments about his wife and Trump has never fully disavowed: “The one thing I like about Donald Trump is he actually will talk to anybody, but just because you talk to somebody doesn’t mean you endorse… pic.twitter.com/gB1vr8G2qi
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 11, 2024