Former President Barack Obama criticized JD Vance for his immigration stance, highlighting the contradiction of Vance being married to an immigrant. During a podcast with Malcolm Gladwell, Obama referenced Vance's marriage to Usha Vance, who is a U.S. citizen by birth, and discussed the implications of Vance's rhetoric regarding citizenship and belonging in America. Obama stated, "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."
Vance, who has made statements emphasizing a particular vision of American identity, previously stated that America is not just an idea but a specific place with a distinct set of beliefs. He argued against the notion that America is a purely creedal nation, asserting that those with ancestral ties to the country have a greater claim to it than others.
Gladwell noted that Vance's marriage is indicative of a shift in societal attitudes, suggesting that it reflects a movement from malice to hypocrisy in discussions about immigration. Obama remarked that hypocrisy can indicate a level of guilt about one's actions, which he views as a step towards acknowledging potential wrongs. Vance's office did not respond to requests for comment regarding these statements. Additionally, Vance has been a proponent of policies that would limit birthright citizenship, including support for an executive order from the Trump administration that sought to exclude certain children from automatic citizenship, although the Supreme Court later ruled against this order.