Remarks made by Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed about Usha Vance have drawn criticism, with opponents highlighting passages from Vice President JD Vance's memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," that speak to his deep affection for his wife.
El-Sayed, who is running for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat, made comments that were interpreted by some as questioning whether JD Vance's grandfather would have approved of Usha Vance, due to her Indian heritage. Critics called the remarks racist.
In response to El-Sayed's comments, many social media users and commentators resurfaced a passage from Vance's 2016 memoir. In the acknowledgments, Vance wrote about his wife, Usha: "...though it is one of the great regrets of my life that Mamaw and Papaw never met her, it is the source of my greatest joy that I did."
The controversy emerged after Vance criticized El-Sayed's past remarks on Sharia law at a rally. Vance suggested that El-Sayed represented a version of the Democratic Party his own grandfather, whom Vance referred to as "Papaw," would not have recognized.
El-Sayed's retort, which included the line, "So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…," ignited the backlash. Supporters of JD Vance and critics of El-Sayed quickly condemned the remark.
Commentators such as Meghan McCain and Ryan Girdusky, along with Texas Rep. Brandon Gill, have voiced strong opposition to El-Sayed's comments. McCain described Usha Vance as a "beloved figure" and a "powerful secret weapon," while Girdusky suggested El-Sayed's remarks imply rural white Americans are racist.
"Hillbilly Elegy" details Vance's upbringing and family history, with his grandparents playing a significant role in his narrative. The memoir, published in 2016, chronicles Vance's journey from his childhood in Middletown, Ohio, and his family's roots in Kentucky.