‘Mom Tried to Sell Him’

A New York Times columnist is facing backlash after posting comments on social media suggesting that Vice President J.D. Vance’s mother should have sold him for drugs during his childhood, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The remarks were made this week by Jamelle Bouie, a columnist for The New York Times, in a series of posts on the left-wing social media platform Bluesky on Wednesday.

Bouie’s comments were directed at J.D. Vance following a recent interview the vice president gave to the Daily Mail.

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In that interview, Vance declined to apologize to the family of Minnesota shooting victim Alex Pretti, a decision that drew criticism from some commentators.

Reacting to the interview, Bouie wrote on Bluesky, “This is a wicked man who knows he is being wicked and does it anyway.”

this is a wicked man who knows he is being wicked and does it anyway

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— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) Feb 4, 2026 at 11:41 AM

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He followed that post with additional commentary, writing, “Like, do you see that smirk? That brief ‘ain’t i a stinker’ grin? beneath contempt.”

In response to another user who described Vance as “pompous,” Bouie escalated his rhetoric. “No wonder his mom tried to sell him for Percocets,” Bouie wrote.

He added, “I can’t imagine a parent who wouldn’t sell little JD for Percocet if they knew he would turn out like this.”

Bouie continued his line of attack by writing, “To be a bit serious, one irony of vance’s life is that he is also an addict: addicted to power and clearly willing to sell anything to get it.”

After the posts began circulating more widely, Bouie reacted to media coverage of his remarks, calling a story by Fox News about the comments “very funny.”

this is very funny www.foxnews.com/media/jd-van…

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— jamelle (@jamellebouie.net) Feb 6, 2026 at 5:01 AM

Vance has spoken openly for years about his mother’s struggle with addiction, most notably in his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy.

In the book, Vance detailed how his mother, Beverly Aikins, developed an addiction after receiving prescription medication and described the toll it took on his childhood.

“I knew that a mother could love her son despite the grip of addiction,” Vance wrote in the memoir, reflecting on his family’s experience.

“I knew that my family loved me, even when they struggled to take care of themselves.”

Vance has also spoken publicly about his mother’s recovery. In April of last year, he marked Aikins’ tenth year of sobriety during an event at the White House.

Aikins now works at a substance abuse treatment center in Cincinnati, according to previous public statements by Vance.

Bouie’s comments have drawn criticism from conservatives and others who argue that attacking a political figure by invoking a parent’s past addiction crosses a line.

The controversy also highlights ongoing tensions between prominent media figures and Republican officials, particularly as Vance continues to draw national attention in his role as vice president.

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