JD Vance is facing criticism after opening up about the lifestyle that comes with serving as Vice President.
Since being sworn in alongside Donald Trump in January 2025, Vance has spent the last year and a half adjusting to one of the most high-profile roles in American politics.
He has continued making podcast and interview appearances during that time. One recent example saw him join his wife Usha on her Storytime with the Second Lady podcast, where the pair read from Winnie the Pooh ahead of Father’s Day.
In his latest appearance, Vance spoke with Mike Rowe on the The Way I Heard It podcast while promoting his new book. The conversation aired as part of a recent episode focused on faith, family and politics, and also touched on how life has changed inside Number One Observatory Circle, the official vice presidential residence.
When Rowe asked him to reflect on what his grandparents might make of his life today, Vance said:
“I’d hope they’d be proud of me.”
He then explained that his grandmother would likely be concerned about how much his circumstances have changed, adding that it is something he thinks about too.
Describing how different his routine is now, the vice president said:
“My life is totally transformed. I don’t go to the grocery store anymore, people go to the grocery store for me.”
Vance, who has three children and is expecting a fourth, said he still enjoys cooking, especially for his kids. But he noted that the role now comes with extensive support, meaning he no longer has to handle many everyday tasks himself.
He went on to highlight another major change that comes with the office.
“My life is so weird, I fly around on a 757. No more TSA lines for me and the kids. It’s so weird,” he said. Although, he did acknowledge the negatives that could come with it.
Vance also made clear that he sees a danger in becoming too comfortable with those privileges.
“But it can become the sort of thing that, if you internalize it, you start to be an entitled a**hole,” he told Rowe.
He added that his grandmother, if she were still around, would make sure he did not “get too big for his bridges”.
The remarks drew a mixed response online, with several people arguing that comments like these show how disconnected politicians can become from ordinary life.
“This is one of the many reasons politicians become corrupt. They get a taste of a multi-millionaire and won’t give it up,” said one user on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“This is why so many of our politicians are out of touch. They have people going shopping for them and don’t see how insane prices have become. Ground Beef being 9-10$ a lb unless you catch a sale is kinda crazy.”
“Totally out of touch!” exclaimed a third.
Others, however, felt the discussion was being taken too seriously and saw it as a fairly light exchange.
“I’m looking forward to the new memes of JD Vance baking!”