Vice President JD Vance's recent comments about riding in a motorcade with Elon Musk have ignited a firestorm of criticism, with many Americans branding him out of touch.
In a viral interview on the I Heard It That Way podcast, Vance shared what he thought was a humorous anecdote about his experience with the tech billionaire. He described how traffic was completely shut down while they traveled, seemingly oblivious to the inconvenience caused to ordinary citizens.
“It’s the thing that money can’t buy,” Vance recounted. He continued, “I was traveling. Actually, Elon Musk was in my motorcade at one point. I think we were in Florida, maybe during the transition, and they had completely shut down traffic from the airport to I think Mar-a-Lago.”
Vance laughed as he recalled Musk's remark: “And Elon’s like, ‘I can buy a lot, but I can’t buy that.’” The two found humor in their privileged situation, but social media users were far from amused.
One critic slammed Vance, stating, “Openly mocking and taunting Americans while bragging how rich you are is not the own you think it is, JD.” They added, “And you two are real a------- for inconveniencing everyone by shutting down traffic just for yourself and your joy ride.”
Another user questioned Vance's pride in blocking traffic for everyday people, sarcastically noting, “Hey JD, so you are proud that you can block traffic for ordinary people without spending any money?” A follow-up comment pointed out the reality: “Correction: by spending our taxpayer money.”
“Bragging about being a nuisance to daily life for no reason. Good stuff,” another user remarked with biting sarcasm. The 70-minute interview also touched on various topics including faith and family, but the motorcade story overshadowed the rest.
Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, details his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, where he reflects on his grandparents' influence. During the podcast, he pondered what his late grandmother, "Mamaw," would think of his current position. “What in the world would she say today, assuming she’s looking down, and Papaw, for that matter?” Rowe asked.
Vance responded, “Well, you know, you never know. I think and hope they’d be proud of me.” He speculated that Mamaw would advise him not to get too arrogant: “I think that what Mamaw would say in particular is, ‘Don’t get too big for your britches.’”
Rowe chimed in with a more colorful version of the phrase: “Don’t get too big for your god---- britches.” Vance agreed with a laugh.
