Overview
- Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv, Vice President JD Vance called Jen Psaki’s podcast remarks about his wife, Usha, “disgraceful” and said the second lady can speak for herself.
- Psaki, now an MSNBC host, had joked on the I’ve Had It podcast that Usha Vance should “blink four times” if she needed help and described Vance as a “little Manchurian candidate” who is “scarier” than Donald Trump.
- The podcast episode’s published description echoed the joke by addressing Usha Vance directly with a “blink” line.
- White House communications director Steven Cheung condemned Psaki’s comments in a post on X, calling her “a dumbass” and a “moron” and referencing her “circle back” catchphrase.
- News outlets noted that Usha Vance was traveling with the vice president in Israel as the clip spread, and no public apology or retraction from Psaki had been reported.