US Vice President JD Vance has issued a forceful public condemnation of the racist and sexist attacks directed at his wife, Usha Vance, while making a clear stand that ethnic hatred is unwelcome within conservative circles.
Vance's Strong Rejection of Bigotry
In an interview with the outlet UnHerd published on Friday, Vance addressed the vitriol coming from far-right activist Nick Fuentes and others, including former Biden administration press secretary Jen Psaki. He left no room for ambiguity regarding his position on hate speech.
"Antisemitism, and all forms of ethnic hatred have no place in the conservative movement. Whether you’re attacking somebody because they’re white or because they’re black or because they’re Jewish, I think it’s disgusting," Vance stated emphatically.
Months of Pressure and Fuentes' Role
This statement arrives after months of pressure on the Vice President to publicly censure Fuentes, whose supporters are known as Groypers. Fuentes and his followers have been repeatedly linked to racist and antisemitic rhetoric. Fuentes has personally targeted Usha Vance with slurs and even labeled JD Vance a "race traitor" for marrying her.
However, in his comments, Vance sought to downplay Fuentes' significance within mainstream conservative politics. He argued that the influence of such figures within conservative institutions and former President Donald Trump’s political orbit is often exaggerated. Vance suggested these individuals are frequently amplified to divert attention from more substantive policy debates, such as those concerning US foreign policy.
Broader Context and AmericaFest Remarks
Vance's interview was published shortly after he spoke at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest. At that event, he declared that President Donald Trump had "relegated DEI to the dustbin of history." He further told the audience that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies contradict American values and the principle of meritocracy.
"We don’t treat anybody different because of their race or their sex," Vance asserted during his AmericaFest address, aligning his views with a broader critique of identity-based policies.
The figure at the centre of this controversy, Nick Fuentes, has drawn widespread condemnation for his past remarks, which include praising Adolf Hitler and repeatedly making racist and antisemitic statements.
