JD Vance Fat-Shames Trump Ally Marc Thiessen in Unprovoked Burrito Jab: 'The Man Has Never Missed a Burrito'

JD Vance has triggered backlash after mocking conservative commentator Marc Thiessen's weight during an online argument about rising food prices.

The exchange began on X after right-wing commentator Matt Walsh warned that high grocery prices were becoming a political vulnerability for President Donald Trump. Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet then shared what he said was feedback from a college student about affordability.

'One of our TPUSA college students gave me his take on affordability: 'A burrito shouldn't cost $20,'' Kolvet wrote.

Kolvet blamed the squeeze on what he described as the lingering effects of COVID and former President Joe Biden's economic policies. Still, he said the 'lived experience is the same': basic goods feel too expensive. Thiessen, a longtime conservative columnist and Trump ally, did not appear sympathetic.

'Cry me a river. The burritos in the college cafeteria are included in your meal plan,' he replied.

'The Man Has Never Missed a Burrito'

Vance then inserted himself into the thread, even though the exchange did not mention him.

'I'm surprised to hear Mark say this,' the vice-president wrote, misspelling Thiessen's first name. 'If you've ever met him in person, it's quite obvious the man has never missed a burrito.'

The remark quickly drew criticism because it turned a discussion about food prices into a personal jab at Thiessen's appearance. The Trump campaign account later amplified Vance's post, calling it a 'banger.' But others were less amused.

'The Vice President is making fat jokes. That's how far America has fallen,' liberal commentator Ed Krassenstein wrote.

Journalist Mehdi Hasan also weighed in, writing: 'Nothing to see here. Just the vice-president of the US fat-shaming a prominent supporter of the president of the US who the president loves.'

The X account Typos of the New York Times corrected Vance's spelling with a simple: '*Marc.'

Former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau joked: 'Welcome back to s---posting, sir! Don't listen to Susie Wiles - keep Twitter on your phone!'

Tommy Vietor, a former Obama national security staffer, took aim at Vance's own weight-loss history by posting an image of Ozempic and writing: 'Tell Marc about your secret.'

Vance has previously said he lost about 30 pounds after his 2022 Ohio Senate campaign through diet and exercise, not weight-loss medication. More recently, he said he had tried Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s sauerkraut-heavy diet during Lent and continued it afterwards.

Real Tension May Be About Iran

The burrito joke may have looked random, but the bad blood between Vance and Thiessen appears to run deeper.

Last week, Thiessen used a Washington Post column to criticise Vance over Iran, accusing him of undermining Trump's position by publicly contradicting the president on US military intervention in the Middle East.

'Perhaps it's time for the president to take the advice of those who have delivered him success in Iran—not those like Vance who have failed him,' Thiessen wrote.

That context made Vance's burrito jab look less like a casual joke and more like retaliation against a conservative critic inside Trump's own camp.

Weight Becomes a White House Theme

The episode also fits a broader pattern inside Trump's orbit, where weight has become a recurring target.

Trump has repeatedly mentioned a 'seriously overweight' friend who takes what he calls 'the fat shot.' Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has also attacked 'fat troops' and 'fat generals and admirals,' calling them unacceptable.

Trump himself recently praised Vance's slimmer appearance.

'He's lost weight. He got a little thinner,' Trump said in April. 'I'm looking for a heavy-set gentleman, and now I find a perfect-looking specimen.'