Since taking office for his second term, U.S. President Trump has taken a tough stance on immigration issues. His potential successor, Vice President Williams, has also made several statements opposing immigration, advocating for the importance of American "bloodline".
This stance has caused dissatisfaction among the American Democratic Party. According to a report by The Daily Beast on July 16, former U.S. President Obama criticized Vance during a podcast episode. He accused Vance of being hypocritical in immigration policies, as he promotes anti-immigration rhetoric while marrying a descendant of Indian immigrants.
Obama said in a conversation with Canadian writer Malcolm Gladwell: "At least one of our major political parties has been influenced by politics, and this politics openly suggests that ‘our people’ refers to a certain type of individuals."
Obama criticized, “The current vice president delivered a speech titled ‘Our People,’ which emphasized the importance of one’s parental status and how long they have lived on this land. But he himself married a daughter of an immigrant, which actually echoes the idea of who can become a citizen of the United States, who belong here, and who has the right to make decisions.”
Video screenshot of former U.S. President Obama
What Obama referred to was a speech given by Vance last year at a conservative think tank in the United States. During that speech, Vance stated, "The United States is not just a theory. We are a particular place with a particular people, a particular faith, and a particular way of life... I believe that those ancestors who participated in the Civil War are more qualified to represent America than those who claim they do not belong here."
However, while Vance advocates against immigration, his wife Usha Vance is the daughter of an Indian immigrant and a Hindu believer. The couple married in 2014 and has four children.
Gladwell believes that Vance’s marriage is actually an example of America’s shift from kindness to hypocrisy. Gladwell points out that a century ago, it would have been impossible for a U.S. vice president to make ‘nativism’ statements while marrying someone of Indian descent.
Regarding this, Obama commented: "Hypocrisy can also be considered a form of progress. It means that you feel guilty, so you either deceive yourself or others. This is always better than not considering whether you might have made a mistake."
As of now, Vance has not commented on Obama’s remarks.
US Vice President Wilson and his wife Usha. Associated Press
The Daily Beast reported that Vance strongly advocated for an executive order signed by Trump to restrict ‘birth citizenship’, stipulating that newborns whose parents are not US citizens or legal permanent residents cannot automatically obtain American citizenship.
Some people speculate that since Wusha Vance was born in the United States, the immigration status of her parents is still unclear. This order may put Wusha’s American citizenship at risk. However, reports indicate that Trump’s executive order does not have retroactive effect.
However, Trump’s executive order has led to lawsuits in several states in the United States, and several federal district judges have prohibited the order from taking effect. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s decision by a vote of 6 to 3, continuing to prevent Trump’s administration from having the executive order restricting “birth citizenship” take effect. Vance was dissatisfied with this ruling, calling it a “major mistake”.
