Donald Trump's Snarky Dig At JD Vance Hints He's More Fed Up With Him Than Usha

It's been a few months since Usha Vance reportedly snapped at JD Vance in public, and now his boss is giving him a hard time for the cameras to see, too. Donald Trump has made his fair share of shady digs at JD Vance since making him his VP. And now he's suggesting that he would be happier if Vance was a little more scared of him and a little less chatty.

Trump: "I want my cabinet to behave like [Xi Jinping's staff]. I'm demanding that....I've never seen men so scared in their lives...JD doesn't behave like that. JD butts into conversations." pic.twitter.com/CKoxloczg4

— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) November 5, 2025

During a November 5 breakfast, Donald Trump took the podium to speak with senators about the government shutdown. He talked about China's President Xi Jinping, calling him "a tough man ... smart man, actually — very smart" (via X, formerly Twitter). Trump recalled a recent meeting with Jinping, in which his staff refused to answer Trump's questions, instead standing "at attention." 

Trump smiled, saying, "I want my cabinet to behave like that ... I'm demanding that ... I've never seen men so scared in their lives." Trump then directed his attention to Vance, who was sitting in the audience. "Why don't you behave like that?" he asked with a laugh, adding, "JD doesn't behave like that. JD butts into conversations." He then joked, "We'll keep you long-term, but a couple of days of that would be very, very nice."

It's clear that Donald Trump was joking when he poked fun at JD Vance and asked him to be more like Xi Jinping's staff, as the crowd laughed along with him. But, as the saying goes, "There's always a little truth behind every 'just kidding.'" And, it certainly seems like that is the case here. We all know that Trump is still bitter about Vance's anti-MAGA past. While Vance doesn't seem to be the type to stand up to Trump when he doesn't agree, it's always been clear that deep down, this president and VP aren't always on the same page.

There wouldn't be "No Kings" protests if folks didn't think Trump had dreams of being a king, rather than a president. Part of that means ruling over the people who work for you with no fear of them checking you or standing in opposition. Even though Trump was laughing when he called out Vance, it seems like he really would prefer if his VP kept quiet. This probably doesn't exactly come as a surprise to Vance, but all the same, it likely doesn't feel good.