JD Vance’s marriage: Why Erika Kirk’s hug backfired

An on-stage hug between the vice president and Charlie Kirk’s widow sparked wild rumors about their relationship. But the real story isn’t an affair, instead it’s an image problem for the GOP. JD Vance’s marriage to Usha Vance increasingly clashes with the ideals he’s selling, built on white supremacy and rigid gender roles. In this video, I explain why that’s becoming a serious liability for the Republican Party and what it reveals about the hypocrisy of MAGA politics and toxic masculinity. Joining me is Soraya Chemaly, author of “All We Want Is Everything: How We Dismantle Male Supremacy Hardcover.” She warns that Vance’s embrace of male supremacy has reached a troubling level. Subscribe here on YouTube for more Standing Room Only, airing weekly Thursdays at 5 PM ET on YouTube. 🥳 Standing Room Only started as a newsletter. Join the party and get it in your inbox 2x a week by clicking here: https://www.salon.com/newsletter?utm_source=youtube-sro&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=newsletter-signup-ytsro 🤓 Read Amanda Marcotte's writing on Salon.com here: https://www.salon.com/writer/amanda_marcotte 👍 Follow Amanda on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amandamarcotte.bsky.social ✌️ Support Salon’s mission—become a member: https://www.salon.com/premium?utm_source=youtube-sro&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=become-a-member-ytsro 🎵 Like our Encore segment? Follow the Standing Room Only Playlist on Spotify to hear the full songs and more recommendations from Amanda: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5xGJv3dQ8BPbO2gMw53dvB #JDVance #UshaVance #ErikaKirk #GOP #MAGA #RepublicanHypocrisy #ProgressivePolitics #PoliticalCommentary