MSNBC host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reportedly faced criticism Tuesday after making personal remarks about Second Lady Usha Vance during an appearance on a left-wing podcast, suggesting she needed to be “saved” from her husband, Vice President JD Vance.
Psaki’s comments came during an episode of the “I’ve Had It” podcast, titled “Devil Wears MAGA,” where the hosts and Psaki discussed potential 2028 presidential contenders. With speculation growing that JD Vance could lead the Republican ticket, Psaki questioned both his character and his wife’s situation, saying she “always wonder[s] what’s going on in the mind of his wife.”
“I think the little Manchurian candidate, JD Vance, wants to be president more than anything else. I always wonder what’s going on in the mind of his wife,” Psaki said, as one of the podcast hosts shouted “Agree!” Psaki continued, “Like, are you okay? Please blink four times. We’ll come over here, we’ll save you. And that he’s willing to do anything to get there.”
The comment drew attention for its mocking tone and insinuation that Usha Vance—an accomplished attorney and former Supreme Court clerk—is somehow a victim of her husband’s political ambitions. Psaki went on to describe the vice president as “scarier in certain ways,” adding, “He’s young. And ambitious. And agile in the sense that he is a chameleon who makes himself into whatever he thinks the audience wants to hear from him.”
Psaki, who served as President Biden’s first press secretary before joining MSNBC, continued by questioning whether Vance could unify the Republican Party in a future presidential run. “Now, what’s also true though, is JD Vance is not, he’s in some ways goodish on paper, if you like what he believes in, I don’t know. But I don’t know that he can take the whole movement with him,” she said.
The two hosts of “I’ve Had It” echoed Psaki’s skepticism, with co-host Jennifer Welch dismissing Vance’s political appeal. “No way. He [has] no rizz,” Welch said, using a slang term for charisma. Psaki laughed in agreement, saying, “Got no rizz, right? He just is a little odd. Trump’s odd in a different way. So I’m skeptical of that.”
Psaki concluded her remarks by accusing Republicans of manipulating voters, saying, “Everything going on right now, and I think we have to be very clear-eyed about this, is about trying to manipulate the public around elections.”
Despite Psaki’s derision, JD Vance has emerged as a rising figure within the Republican Party and a potential 2028 presidential contender. An Emerson College poll released Friday found Vance narrowly leading California Governor Gavin Newsom in a hypothetical general election matchup, with 46 percent supporting Vance, 45 percent backing Newsom, and 10 percent undecided.
Neither Vice President Vance nor his wife has responded publicly to Psaki’s remarks. However, conservatives on social media quickly condemned the segment as an example of the double standard in political discourse, where the families of Republican figures are often treated as fair game for ridicule.
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