MSNBC host Jen Psaki is facing backlash after she joked that Vice President JD Vance’s wife, Usha, might be afraid of him. Psaki made the remarks during a recent appearance on the “I’ve Had It” podcast, which aired Tuesday, October 21.
Podcast joke sparks outrage
The show’s description on YouTube and Spotify included the same line: “Usha Vance, please blink twice if you need help.” The remark quickly drew attention on social media. During the episode titled “Devil wears Maga,” Psaki said she found Vance “scarier” than President Donald Trump and referred to him as a “little Manchurian candidate.”
Psaki also described Vance as “young and ambitious,” adding that “he’s willing to do anything to get there” and “makes himself whatever he thinks people want to hear.”
She added, half-jokingly, that she sometimes wonders if Usha Vance “is OK” and quipped, “Please blink four times. We’ll come over here. We’ll save you.”
Social media responds to Psaki’s comments
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec called Psaki’s words “absolutely disgusting,” noting that Usha was accompanying JD Vance in Israel, “securing the Gaza Peace Deal.”
Others, including the Libs of TikTok account, accused Psaki of making baseless and offensive assumptions about the vice president’s marriage. “Unhinged Jen Psaki is now smearing JD Vance, suggesting that his wife wants to leave her husband.” The post read, “@MSNBC should be ashamed to pay her salary.”
Steven Cheung, White House communications director, also responded on X. In his post, he said Psaki “must be transferring her own personal issues onto others.” He called her “a dumbass who has no comprehension of the truth” and added, “Circle back on that, moron,” a jab at her well-known press room catchphrase.
Jen Psaki and JD Vance clash over prayer
Psaki and Vance also clashed back in August 2025, in the aftermath of the Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting in Minneapolis on August 27, per The New York Post.
When a prayer was held to mourn the tragedy, Psaki questioned whether offering a prayer in the aftermath of a shooting is appropriate. “Enough with thoughts and prayers," she wrote on X.
Vance responded to her comments with his own post on X. “It’s shocking," he wrote, citing the left-wing politicians’ attack on offering prayers for the tragedy. “We pray because our hearts are broken and we believe that God is listening," he explained. She has not commented further since the episode aired.
FAQs
What did Jen Psaki say about JD and Usha Vance?
She joked that Usha might be “scared” of her husband and should “blink twice” for help.
Where did Psaki make the comments?
On the “I’ve Had It” podcast, which aired earlier this week.
How did the White House respond?
Communications director Steven Cheung condemned Psaki’s remarks on X.
Who else criticized her?
Conservative figures like Jack Posobiec and Libs of TikTok called her comments “disgusting.”
