Former GOP senator Adam Kinzinger just mocked a recent Fox News post on X about Second Lady Usha Vance as “state controlled media” and a “completely worthless and pointless” post. His strong reaction came after seeing the network’s effusive praise for Vice President JD Vance, shared through his wife’s words.
The post from Fox News featured a quote from Usha where she called her husband, Vice President JD Vance, “the nicest, funniest guy” and “I wish that people saw more of that.” The post also included an image of JD Vance holding Usha, overlaid with another quote: “[JD Vance] makes everything an adventure. He’s really just a wonderful person to be around.” This glowing portrayal certainly caught Kinzinger’s attention, clearly not in a positive way.
Per MEAWW, Usha has been lifting the curtain on her husband, offering a glimpse into a side of him that most Americans don’t typically see. She sat down with Fox News anchor Kayleigh McEnany, and was asked what she’d like America to know about her husband that they might not already. Vance acknowledged that her husband has written a book and made many speeches, leading to various misconceptions about him.
I really don’t know if they are misconceptions
Usha enthusiastically described him as a dedicated family man who brings both energy and a good deal of humor into their home life. She’s even talked about him during an appearance on Today where she spoke to NBC’s Kate Snow. Usha noted that she isn’t part of his official machinery, and thus, doesn’t need to see eye-to-eye with him on every single issue.
She pointed out that she serves as a sounding board for whenever he want’s meaningful input. It works because she “loves him and wants him to succeed.” She genuinely likes to understand what’s happening in her husband’s world, what he’s focused on, and what concerns he has, because “it’s a marriage.”
Interestingly, Usha Vance was once a registered Democrat until at least 2014, but she later backed Republicans during her husband’s Senate run. Despite this political shift, she insists she’s never felt boxed in by party lines. “I do feel very comfortable in that no one has ever asked me to engage in any kind of litmus test on anything.”
However, the Fox News tweet only latched onto the praise rather than the entire narrative, which is what drew Kinzinger’s ire. It highlights the unique relationship between the Trump administration and the media outlet. As French 24 pointed out, Fox became the big winner since his return to the White House.
Owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Fox News scored the very first TV interview with the 47th president. Additionally, White House press corps members are regularly reminded of the privileged status Fox News enjoys. Often, as Leavitt pointed out during Elon Musk’s spat with Trump, they get the first briefing about any drama.
During the day, Fox News focuses on news. In the evening, the channel transforms, with its stars celebrating Trump between ads for his products. A communications expert explained that: “The Trump administration wants an outlet to reach their constituency, and the ‘MAGA’ crowd — and that’s where they happen to look at a lot of their news.” The sympathetic interviewers are a bonus.
As a result of this specific targeting, the channel pulls 71% of primetime news channel viewers, while podcasts, social media, and viral digital content have eroded the influence of other legacy media. Simply because Trump and his fans remain loyal consumers of traditional news.
Now, though, “the second Trump administration is much more empowered and emboldened than the first.” To the extent that traditional guardrails, whether in the media or in Congress, that were resisting some of Trump’s more extreme tendencies, “seem to have largely disappeared.”
In this current environment, as Kinzinger’s tweet suggests, it feels less like independent journalism and more like a platform for the administration. Kinzinger has also recently called out Fox News for their attempts to reframe the No Kings protest as a communist conspiracy. He has also been openly critical of Trump’s rogue foreign policies.
Published: Apr 6, 2026 12:11 pm