Vice President JD Vance is speaking out about his relationship with wife Usha Vance after recent public appearances where she was seen without her wedding ring sparked speculation.
On at least two occasions, the 39-year-old lawyer has been photographed without her ring. Through a spokesperson, she has explained that she sometimes forgets to wear it, especially as a mother of three young children who spends a lot of time doing household tasks like dishes.
In an interview with NBC News published Friday, December 5, JD addressed both the attention on Usha’s ring and the broader scrutiny on their family since he took office alongside President Donald Trump.
“There are certainly ways in which it’s difficult on the family,” he said of the heightened media focus. “I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for.”
He also opened up about how their three children — sons Ewan, 8, and Vivek, 5, and daughter Mirabel, 3 — are handling life in the spotlight.
“I think that there’s always a limelight on the kids, and that’s both good and bad,” JD shared. “Our 8-year-old really doesn’t like it. He wants to have as private of a life as possible. When we come to an event in the White House and he sees the cameras, he doesn’t love it, and so we try to keep him out of that limelight as much as possible.”
“On the flip side,” he added, “our 5-year-old, who’s a little bit more like me, he probably likes it too much. He loves the fact that wherever he goes, people treat him very specially. They always give him candy or cookies.”
When it comes to his marriage, JD insisted there’s no trouble behind the scenes. He said their relationship “is as strong as it’s ever been” and that Usha has “really taken” to her role as second lady.
That hasn’t entirely stopped rumors. JD drew attention in October after an affectionate embrace with Erika Kirk at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi prompted online chatter.
“I think that we kind of get a kick out of it,” he said of the ongoing speculation. “With anything in life, you take the good with the bad.”
JD also recalled one of the recent moments when Usha realized she’d left the house without her ring and suggested going back to get it so people wouldn’t twist it into something more.
“That’s when I told her, ‘Let them. It’s not even worth the trip to run back upstairs,’” he said.
