Washington, D.C., USA: U.S. Second Lady Usha Vance has responded to a controversial remark by Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed that appeared to reference her Indian heritage.
The controversy began after Vice President JD Vance criticized El-Sayed's views on Sharia law during a rally in Ohio. Vance said he would like to go back in time and explain his concerns to his grandfather, whom he refers to as “Papaw,” adding that such views did not represent the Democratic Party his grandfather knew.
Responding on social media, El-Sayed wrote, “So do we think JD is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no…” The remark was widely interpreted by critics as a reference to Usha Vance's Indian heritage and speculation about how JD Vance's grandparents would have viewed their interracial marriage.
Usha Vance later addressed the controversy in an interview, saying she had never met JD Vance's grandparents but knew and loved the family members they raised.
She said JD Vance's mother, aunt and uncle had always been “incredibly loving” toward her. Usha also described JD's aunt as being like a second mother to her and said she would have loved to meet his grandparents.
The remarks have sparked a political controversy, with critics accusing El-Sayed of bringing Usha Vance's ethnicity and marriage into a political dispute involving JD Vance. El-Sayed's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
