Trump Critic Spencer Hakimian Posts Racist Caricatures Targeting JD Vance, Usha

Hedge fund manager and prominent Trump critic Spencer Hakimian has drawn widespread criticism after sharing a racist caricature targeting US Vice President JD Vance, his Indian-American wife Usha Vance and their child.

Hakimian, founder of Tolou Capital Management, shared the image on X on Sunday. The caricature depicted Usha Vance and the child using degrading imagery and racial stereotypes, prompting users to accuse him of crossing the line from political criticism into racism.

“This is extremely racist. I know you are trying to own MAGA, but you are hurting others,” one X user wrote, criticising Hakimian for involving a child in the attack.

Another user accused him of bringing a child into a political dispute and told him there was “a special place in hell” for doing so.

The backlash is particularly notable because Hakimian has built a profile as an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. His recent social media activity has also included attacks on other prominent figures associated with the Trump administration, including FBI Director Kash Patel.

Hakimian has previously clashed directly with JD Vance. In an earlier exchange, Hakimian criticised comments attributed to the vice president, prompting Vance to respond that the quote was “made up” and accuse Hakimian of being “completely dishonest”.

The latest controversy has also revived scrutiny of Hakimian's previous posts targeting Republican figures and their families, including FBI Director Kash Patel and Danielle D'Souza Gill, the wife of Republican Congressman Brandon Gill.

Critics have questioned how Hakimian's attacks on MAGA can be separated from the racial stereotypes used in some of his own posts. Some also highlighted his immigrant background. Quartz has previously reported that Hakimian's parents came to the United States from Iran.

Hakimian has described himself as an independent and has advocated political dialogue despite his frequent criticism of Trump and Republicans.

“If we don’t talk, we're going to end up fighting. Dialogue's messy, but the alternative is swords in the streets,” he has said.

The controversy comes amid wider scrutiny of racial rhetoric in US politics and growing debate over the treatment of Indian-American public figures, including Usha Vance. Recent coverage has also examined the unusual political and cultural background of the vice president's family, with Usha Vance having grown up in a Hindu family before marrying JD Vance.