Former U.S. President Barack Obama has criticised Vice President JD Vance over his comments on immigration, accusing him of promoting what he described as a divisive interpretation of American identity.

Speaking at a recent event, Obama alleged that Vance was advancing a “blood and soil” version of the phrase “We the People,” suggesting that a person’s background or family history should determine their place in American society.

Obama also pointed to what he described as a contradiction in Vance’s position, noting that the vice president is married to the daughter of immigrants.

“When you have the vice president making a speech that is basically a blood and soil version of ‘We the People,’ that it matters who your parents were and how long they’ve been here, despite him being married to a daughter of an immigrant himself,” Obama said.

Vance has not publicly responded to Obama’s latest remarks.