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Vice President J.D. Vance and Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) engaged in a heated exchange on the social media platform X regarding the potential rehiring of a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer who resigned after past racist social media posts surfaced.
Marko Elez, a 25-year-old DOGE aide with “read-only” access to sensitive Treasury Department payment systems, stepped down on Thursday following a report by The Wall Street Journal that exposed his past posts promoting racist views.
Among the uncovered posts, one account linked to Elez reportedly stated, “Normalize Indian hate,” while another post read, “You could not pay me to marry outside of my ethnicity.”
Despite the controversy, Vance publicly supported Elez’s rehiring.
“Here’s my view: I obviously disagree with some of Elez’s posts, but I don’t think stupid social media activity should ruin a kid’s life,” Vance wrote on X on Friday. His post was in response to a poll by tech billionaire Elon Musk asking X users whether Elez should be reinstated despite making “inappropriate statements.”
“We shouldn’t reward journalists who try to destroy people. Ever. So I say bring him back,” Vance continued. “If he’s a bad dude or a terrible member of the team, fire him for that.”
Khanna, who is of Indian descent, directly responded to Vance’s post, questioning whether the vice president would require Elez to apologize for his racist remarks before rehiring him.
“Are you going to tell him to apologize for saying ‘Normalize Indian hate’ before this rehire? Just asking for the sake of both of our kids,” Khanna posted.
Vance, whose wife, Usha Vance, is the first Indian American to serve as second lady, sharply dismissed Khanna’s comment.
“For the sake of both of our kids? Grow up,” Vance responded.
“Racist trolls on the internet, while offensive, don’t threaten my kids. You know what does? A culture that denies grace to people who make mistakes,” Vance continued. “A culture that encourages congressmen to act like whiny children.”
Vance, a father of three, further criticized Khanna’s remarks, calling them “emotional blackmail.”
“I don’t worry about my kids making mistakes or developing views they later regret. I don’t even worry that much about trolls on the internet. You know what I do worry about, Ro? That they’ll grow up to be a U.S. congressman who engages in emotional blackmail over a kid’s social media posts,” Vance wrote. “You disgust me.”
Khanna responded, rejecting Vance’s insults and asserting that respectful discourse should prevail.
“Saying I am ‘whiny’ & ‘you disgust me’ may be your way of showing strength,” Khanna wrote.
“Personally, I don’t think you have to hurl insults or be mean-spirited to have a free exchange of ideas. Our country, at its best (Lincoln/Douglass), was not like that, and you at your best, JD, were not either.”
Elez, one of the DOGE staffers who had received approval from the Department of Justice to access Treasury Department systems, has been at the center of the controversy.
President Donald Trump signaled his support for rehiring Elez, aligning with Vance’s position. Meanwhile, Musk also stated that he would reinstate Elez if given the opportunity.
The back-and-forth between Vance and Khanna highlights a broader debate over accountability, redemption, and the role of past online activity in determining a person’s professional future.
The discussion has also intensified scrutiny on how government agencies handle misconduct among staffers and whether political figures should advocate for leniency or consequences in such cases.
Trump’s endorsement of Elez’s return has added another layer to the debate, reinforcing the argument that past online behavior should not automatically disqualify someone from government service.
Meanwhile, critics argue that government employees, especially those with access to sensitive information, should be held to higher standards of conduct.
