‘F— Him’: JD Vance Won’t Denounce Racism—But Has Plenty to Say About a Black Woman’s Looks As He Prepares for His Next Political Play
Vice President JD Vance drew sharp backlash over the weekend after refusing to denounce racism and declining to draw the line against growing bigotry inside the Republican Party. Vance’s remarks underscored growing internal fractures as conservatives debate the future of the MAGA movement. Vice President JD Vance speaks on the final day of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 21, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. Vance spoke about preparing for the next election and fighting against the left on culture war issues. (Photo by Caylo Seals/Getty Images) Speaking Sunday at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference, Vance positioned himself as a unifier, urging conservatives to resist what he called “endless, self-defeating purity tests.” But his remarks — including a swipe at Texas Democrat Jasmine Crockett — ignited controversy both inside and outside his party. “In the United States of America, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore,” Vance told the audience, even as he declined to condemn rising anti-Semitism, racism and conspiracy theories that roiled the conservative gathering and divided Republicans in real time. ‘They’re All Trolls’: Karoline Leavitt Gets Brutally Dragged as Critics Are Convinced They Know Where Her Lies Come from The speech came as Vance faces an implicit test as the likely heir to President Donald Trump. While he has not officially announced his candidacy, he acknowledged that Democrats were “already talking about 2028” and used the moment to attack potential rivals, including Gov. Gavin Newsom of California. He also took aim at Crockett, a Black congresswoman running for Senate in Texas, saying she had a “street girl persona” that “is about as real as her nails.” View on Threads Crockett rejected the remark as a distraction from policy debates. “Republicans like JD Vance attack my nails and lashes because they can’t keep up with me when it comes to debating the issues,” she said in a text message, according to The New York Times. “While JD Vance is talking about my looks, I’m talking about legislation. I’m talking about lowering the costs for groceries, utilities and health care.” She later amplified her response in a post on X, writing: “Imagine commenting on someone’s nails while at the same time ignoring that the only reason you got your political ‘dream’ job was because your boss incited a violent mob who wanted to hang your predecessor for, oh I don’t know, honoring his oath to the Constitution?! How about you stop worrying about me, until we are on the Senate floor together & work to stop your boss from bankrupting our country while engaging in the largest corruption scheme we’ve ever seen?!” Vance’s remarks and his refusal to single out extremist figures drew criticism from some Republicans. “I’ll never vote for someone who is ambiguous in their stance against antisemitism or who can’t see that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a threat to our long-range strategic interests,” said Rep. Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska. Others rallied to Vance’s defense. Jason Miller, a longtime Trump adviser, praised the speech as a “fantastic unifying message heading into the 2026 midterms.” He added, “When the time comes, I think the vice president will be ready to pick up the baton from President Trump.” Online reaction was far less forgiving, with accusations that Vance’s comments crossed into open racism and misogyny. “J.D., no one is asking white people to apologize for ‘being white,’ but you should apologize for being a horrible human being who uses racism to feed your seemingly insatiable lust for power,” one commenter wrote. Another post said, “JD Vance talking about Jasmine Crockett like this is f*cking racist and makes him a garbage human being.” A third wrote, “F— him He wishes he had the intellect and personality of someone as smart attractive and personable as Jasmine Crockett He’s a boring no body He has no personally and is the absolute most awkward politician Ever — He tries so hard to be funny and cute He is neither…” Others framed the attack in broader terms, with one post reading simply: “you’re just afraid Of A Smart Black Woman.” Many white voices pushed back on Vance’s framing of racial grievance, arguing it distorted reality. In a viral Threads post, one person wrote, “As a white person in America, I never had to apologize for it. No one did. Do these people ever do anything except play the victim of things that are not happening in reality?” View on Threads Another added, “I’m a 67-year-old white man. I have never felt the need to apologize for being white. They love making sh-t up and then getting really mad about it.” A meme circulating in the comments distilled that sentiment: “No one is asking you to apologize for being white. No one is asking you to apologize for the sins of your ancestors. What we are asking is that you help dismantle the oppressive systems they built, that you still benefit from.” The backlash unfolded against the backdrop of an unusually tense Turning Point USA conference. Once a largely unified platform for Trump-aligned conservatism, the gathering has become a flashpoint for disputes over antisemitism, racism and conspiracy theories. The assassination of the group’s co-founder, Charlie Kirk, last September intensified those divisions, galvanizing Republicans while also fueling unfounded theories about his death. In recent days, conservative figures have openly warned about the movement’s direction. Ben Shapiro cautioned that the “conservative movement was in serious danger” from voices amplifying conspiracies, including Candace Owens, who has been widely accused of antisemitism and has promoted unfounded claims about Kirk’s killing. Shapiro also criticized Tucker Carlson after Carlson hosted a friendly interview with Nick Fuentes, a Holocaust denier and avowed anti-Semite. Vivek Ramaswamy, running for governor of Ohio, similarly rebuked those promoting the idea that “heritage Americans” have a greater claim to the country than newer arrivals. He also condemned attacks on Vance’s wife, Usha Vance, and said Fuentes and others spreading hateful views had “no place in the future of the conservative movement.” Vance, by contrast, resisted drawing those lines. “I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce and deplatform,” he said, arguing that debate had long been welcomed at the conference. “We have far more important work to do than canceling each other.” As vice president, Vance has repeatedly declined to take sides in internal fights over bigotry. He previously minimized racist and homophobic language revealed in a Republican group chat, comparing it to “anything said in a college group chat,” and embraced false claims about Haitian-Americans during the 2024 campaign. On Sunday, he again avoided singling out extremists, instead calling for a coalition open to everyone who “loves America.” He tied that message to Trump’s immigration agenda and the administration’s rollback of diversity initiatives. “We don’t treat anybody different because of their race or their sex, so we have relegated DEI to the dustbin of history, which is exactly where it had belonged,” Vance said.
