Former President Barack Obama has indirectly criticized Vice President JD Vance, suggesting Vance promotes a "blood and soil" vision for America that contradicts the nation's ideals, particularly given Vance's marriage to the daughter of immigrants.
During a discussion with author Malcolm Gladwell, Obama drew connections between the Reconstruction era and present-day debates about national identity and who belongs in the United States. He argued that contemporary political discourse echoes historical arguments about citizenship, freedom, and the criteria for belonging.
"We have a politics now that at least one of our major parties has been captured by politics that is not that subtle about suggesting that 'We the people' means a certain kind of people," Obama stated. He specifically pointed to Vance, saying, "When you have the vice president, current vice president, making a speech that is basically a blood and soil version of 'We the people,' that it matters who your parents were and how long they've been here despite him being married to a daughter of an immigrant himself."
Obama elaborated that such rhetoric "echoes, then, ideas about who can be a citizen, who belongs, who gets to make decisions." He noted that while these debates may not always be as explicit as in the past, the underlying issues remain.
The phrase "blood and soil" originated in Nazi Germany and is associated with white nationalism. Obama suggested that Vance's remarks, which he characterized as hypocritical given his marriage to Usha Vance, an American of Indian descent, represent a form of progress because the acknowledgment of hypocrisy implies a recognition of wrongdoing.
Earlier this month, Vance spoke in New York, honoring America's 250th birthday. He urged Americans to embrace a more holistic view of the nation, rejecting a "two-dimensional view" that focuses solely on its failings. "Reject the view of your nation that sees only its sins, but not its grace and its greatness," Vance said. "Everything that we have done, everything that we've done as a country, we have all done together, not as citizens divided against each other, but as a common people working towards a common future."
Obama has historically made subtle criticisms of Vance, including a remark during the 2024 election cycle regarding presidential running mate selections, questioning whether candidates choose "someone inexperienced and polarizing who will deepen our divisions?" or "someone with the judgment to make tough decisions, and the character to believe that every voice counts and everyone deserves an equal chance?"