JD Vance is not only facing constant backlash for his blind and enthusiastic backing of the Donald Trump administration, but also for his mistreatment of his wife.
For months, the Vances have been under scrutiny over a series of viral moments, including JD’s hug with widow Erika Kirk and Usha’s solo appearances without her wedding ring. The couple recently announced they were expecting their fourth child. Even after 12 years of marriage, JD still struggles to express himself without humiliating his wife or making her look like a doormat.
Most recently. Vance, 41, admitted that he once prepared a horrible first meal for his Indian-American wife, prompting food experts and his online critics to shake their heads in disgust.
The married couple appeared for a joint interview on Fox News’ “My View with Lara Trump” in February, where Vance asked to share the best and worst dishes they had ever cooked for their spouse.
“Usha is a vegetarian, and I am not,” he stated. “So, I’m thinking to myself, what does a vegetarian eat? Vegetables, dairy, and bread. So, I went to the grocery store.”
Vance recalled buying crescent rolls, adding, “I rolled them out into a pizza shape, and put vegetables and ranch on top, and stuck them in the oven for 30 minutes,” while a smiling Usha sat beside him.
He then admitted the finished ranch-covered rolls turned out “disgusting” and “inedible” before insisting he has become “pretty good” at cooking since that initial experience.
Vance: I'm pretty good at cooking now. I can make a pretty good brioche bread.
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 22, 2026
Usha Vance: He tries to perfect different foods. There are several he tackled. Biscuits was an early one.
Vance: It’s in my culture
Usha Vance: Most recently, it's been Japanese milk bread. pic.twitter.com/NvWQtfWnOS
Vance’s struggle meal received a harsh review from critics online, including a well-known chef in the food industry.
Indian model and former “Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi, 55, slammed the veep’s self-admittedly unappetizing cuisine and Vance’s approach to vegetarianism, while taking a brutal dig at his wife.
“There are so many reasons to hate JD Vance,” Lakshmi told comedian and presenter Desi Lydic on the Feb. 24-dated episode of “The Daily Show.” “I didn’t think we needed a culinary one.”
Once Lydic, 44, brought up JD’s ranch dressing anecdote, Lakshmi said, “It’s so bad. And also, he’s married to an Indian woman. So she comes from this very deep, vast culinary tradition.”
Lakshmi, who was born in India, also wondered, “Who bakes ranch dressing?”
Usha Vance also caught a stray when the celebrity chef delivered one cutting line that appeared to place the blame on her for choosing him in the first place. “Maybe he knows what she likes. Because she doesn’t really have good taste,” said Lakshmi.
The live “Daily Show” audience burst into laughter and applause at Lakshmi’s jab at the expecting mother of three, as Lydic proclaimed, “My job here is done.”
@outofthewoodsfan With all the reasons to hate JD Vance, Padma Lakshmi didn't think we needed a culinary one
♬ original sound – Out of the Woods
Instagram users joined in on clowning JD and Usha in response to a clip of Padma’s on-air takedown of the couple.
“I didn’t know I was missing Padma roasting the Vances in my life – but this is perfection,” said one person. A second commenter called Vance “An unseasoned man. You nailed it, [Lakshmi].”
Another posted, “Whoa, I didn’t know I could love @padmalakshmi even more.”
One person co-signed Lakshmi, calling her harsh tag on the Vances a “Mic drop” moment.
However, the Emmy-nominated TV personality got pushback, too. A fan commented, “I like Padma, but there is no need to put another woman down. It’s poor form. Nobody knows what goes on in their marriage.”
Lakshmi followed up with a response that offered more clarity around what she meant. “I guess you’ll never read this since you’ve unfollowed but I didn’t put her down. I merely said she doesn’t have good taste because of her choice of spouse. It’s not that serious.”
The Vances’ relationship has been a major topic of conversation among political junkies and celebrity gossipers since the former U.S. Senator was sworn in as the 50th vice president in January 2025.
Their sitdown on Fox News last month also produced another quote by Vance that got the pair relentlessly mocked on social media. In the eyes of many viewers, the Iraq War veteran blatantly dismissed Usha in front of the world.
“OK, sorry. I’m gonna answer first so I can steal all of her answers, so she has nothing to say,” JD jokingly responded when both partners were asked about how their lives have changed over the last year since he took on the role of Trump’s second in command.
With Lakshmi essentially assuming the country’s second family is flavorless in the kitchen and in their marriage, the executive producer of the upcoming “America’s Culinary Cup” series further chipped away at Vance’s public image.
