Who Told White People They Had to Apologize?

Ben Wachstein

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Nobody.

That’s the trick.

JD Vance announced that white people no longer need to apologize for being white. But who told them they had to in the first place?

It’s a rhetorical sleight of hand. Create a demand that doesn’t exist so you can heroically reject it. Position yourself as brave for refusing something nobody actually asked for.

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The real conversations happening in America are usually more like: “Can we reckon with historical harms and their ongoing effects?” or “Should we examine how certain systems continue to advantage some groups over others?”

But those are harder to campaign against. They require nuance. They invite dialogue.

So instead, reframe it. Turn “let’s examine systemic inequality” into “they want you to feel guilty for existing.” Then reject that. Much easier. Creates a villain. Creates victimhood. Creates an easy win.

You see this pattern everywhere now. Manufacture the extreme position nobody’s actually taking, then courageously stand against it. Fight the strawman. Win the crowd.

The question isn’t whether white people should apologize for being white.

The question is: why does rejecting something nobody asked for feel like such a powerful political move?