JD Vance's response to MSNBC host after saying 'his wife needs to be saved': 'She can speak for herself'

US Vice President JD Vance hit back at MSNBC host Jen Psaki over her “disgraceful” comments about wife Usha Vance. Psaki, who previously served as President Joe Biden’s press secretary, suggested the second wife needed to be “rescued” from her husband during a podcast appearance earlier this week. Vance defends woman amid controversy. Speaking to reporters on the tarmac in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Thursday before departing for the United States, Vance was asked about Psaki’s comments. After pausing for a while, he said, “Oh, I think it’s shameful, but of course the second lady can speak for herself.” “I’m very lucky to have a wonderful wife and I know – at least I hope – that my wife feels the same way about me,” he added. “We will continue to serve the country together and I am honored to have especially Usha by my side on this journey, but always.” ‘Manchurian Candidate’ Psaki made the controversial comments on Tuesday during an appearance on the I’ve Had It podcast with Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan. “I think the little Manchurian candidate, JD Vance, wants to be president more than anything else,” she said. “I always wonder what’s going through his wife’s mind. Like, are you OK? Please blink four times. Come here. We’ll save you.” She went on to claim that Vance is “scarier” than former President Donald Trump because he is “willing to do anything” to reach the Oval Office, calling him “a chameleon who makes himself what he thinks the audience wants to hear from him.” Psaki’s comments sparked a wave of criticism online, with social media users condemning them as “disgusting” and “abhorrent” for mocking the couple’s marriage. Jen Psaki and JD Vance clash over prayer Psaki and Vance previously clashed in August 2025 following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis on August 27, according to The New York Post. After a prayer service was held to mourn the victims, Psaki questioned whether prayers were an appropriate response in the wake of such shootings. “Enough with the thoughts and prayers,” she wrote on X. Vance responded to her comments with his own post on X. “This is shocking,” he wrote, referring to the left-wing attack on politicians who present tragedies. “We pray because our hearts are broken and we believe that God is listening,” he explained. She has not commented further since the episode aired.