JD Vance faces backlash over 'she has to smile' joke about wife Usha: 'Sounds like a threat'

BAY CITY, MICHIGAN: Vice President JD Vance is facing backlash online after a joke he made about his wife, Usha Vance, during a public appearance went viral.

While speaking at a plastics manufacturing plant in Michigan on Friday, March 14, Vance quipped about his spouse's expected reactions in front of the cameras, as reported by Buzzfeed. 

Vice President JD Vance jokes his wife Usha Vance has to 'smile and laugh' in front of cameras

"I’m so proud to have her by my side," JD Vance said, with Usha Vance standing just behind him. "And here’s the thing, because the cameras are all on, anything that I say, no matter how crazy, Usha has to smile and laugh and celebrate it… I’m going to be good though, honey," he added. 

Usha, a Yale Law School graduate and mother of three, laughed along, as did some in the audience but outside of the event, but the joke didn’t land quite as well among social media users, with some calling the vice president's remarks "tasteless" and "uncomfortable."

That isn't all. Earlier in his speech, Vance attempted another joke, this time aimed at protesters outside the event. "They need to find a job," he said, seemingly unaware that much of the audience was also off work at the time. The line was met with an awkward response from the crowd.

The Michigan event marked the second couple's first public appearance since they were loudly booed at the Kennedy Center the night before.

Internet slams JD Vance over joke about his wife Usha Vance

JD Vance's joke about his wife ignited widespread backlash on social media. 

One wrote, "Making fun of your wife is not the flex you think it is," and another said, "His attempt at humor is always tasteless… or is that just me?"

One individual took issue with the broader implications, especially since it's Women's History Month.

"The classic 'just smile and nod' routine! Because what better way to celebrate Women’s Month than by reminding women their role is to grin through whatever comes their way? Maybe someone should suggest that, this Women’s Month, he try something radical like actually letting her express what she thinks, even if it’s just through gestures," they remarked.

Others expressed deeper concerns about what the joke suggested about his relationship. "That sounds like a threat. She should consult a lawyer and ensure the long-term safety and security of herself and the children. I know how this goes over time in a marriage. The threats get real," read a comment. 

One more shared, "She looks miserable," while another person wrote, "Congratulations to Usha Vance, a supposedly accomplished attorney who is now a merely decorative cheerleader."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.