Vice President J.D. Vance appeared to draw inspiration on Monday from two Hollywood moments when he told Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed to keep his wife Usha’s name out of his mouth.
The controversy first began last week when El-Sayed posted on social media, “Do we think J.D. is taking Usha with him back in time to meet Papaw, or no?” in response to Vance saying, “I’d love to go back in time and tell my Papaw that there’s a man who claims to stand for working people who says not only should we have Sharia law, but if you criticize it, you’re a white supremacist.”
“That’s not my papaw’s Democratic Party, my friends,” Vance added.
So what El-Sayed was suggesting was that the vice president’s grandfather, whom he never met, was racist and would not approve of his grandson marrying a woman of a different race.
The Senate candidate stated as much during a CNN interview Monday night, saying, “Any of us with different-colored skin who pray different ways can be just as American as J.D. and his Papaw.”
At a Monday rally in the Detroit metro area, the vice president said, “I actually think that the people of Michigan think it’s kind of weird when you talk about another guy’s wife.”
Vice President JD Vance criticized Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on Monday for bringing up his wife, second lady Usha Vance.
“Keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth, because she’s way out of your league,” Vance said.
El-Sayed had previously posted… pic.twitter.com/96uy9NubVY
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 31, 2026
Will Abdul El-Sayed be elected to the Senate?
“I think the people of Michigan would like you to talk about the public policy ideas you have… I think the people of Michigan would like you to talk about how you’re going to protect auto workers when you’re supporting every single policy that has undercut the wages and jobs of Michigan auto workers your entire life in public service,” referring to El-Sayed’s open border stance.
“But whatever you want to talk about, Abdul, keep my wife’s name the hell out of your mouth because she’s way out of your league,” the vice president stated.
That line actually feels like an homage to two Hollywood moments.
The first was, of course, Will Smith’s slap heard ’round the world at the 2022 Academy Awards, when he whacked host Chris Rock across the face after the comedian referred to Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, as “GI Jane” because of his close-cropped hair.
Upon returning to his seat, Smith yelled at Rock, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth.”
Additionally, when Vance told El-Sayed that Usha was “way out of your league,” that echoed a line from the 1995 film “The American President.”
President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) countered the lines of attack Sen. Bob Rumson was lobbing against him, including Shepherd’s relationship with lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), by instructing him, “Sydney Ellen Wade has done nothing to you, Bob.”
“You want a character debate, Bob. You better stick with me because Sydney Ellen Wade is way out of your league.”
Vance addressed the El-Sayed controversy a little further during a Fox News interview Monday night, saying, “If you want to attack me, feel free to attack me. I’m the Vice President of the United States.”
“What I find just so odd about the guy is any time that El-Sayed says something crazy or something debatable or something we push back on, he says, ‘Well, if you don’t like this, you’re a white supremacist. If you don’t like Sharia law in the United States, you’re a white supremacist.’”
As a screenwriter, I appreciate the vice president tapping into a little Hollywood to put El-Sayed back in his place and stand up for Usha.
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