US Vice President JD Vance has publicly addressed a flurry of online speculation concerning his marriage, firmly stating that his relationship with Second Lady Usha Vance remains "as strong as it's ever been." The politician revealed that the couple chooses to laugh off the rumours about their personal life that have recently swept across social media platforms.
Social Media Storm Over a Missing Ring
The controversy ignited after Usha Vance was photographed without her wedding ring during a visit to Camp Lejeune, a military training base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, on November 19. She was accompanying First Lady Melania Trump at the time. The images quickly went viral, fuelling tabloid-style headlines and intense online scrutiny about the state of the couple's union.
This incident was not the first time their marriage drew public attention. In October, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki sparked a separate controversy by joking about "saving" Usha Vance from her marriage, a remark that prompted a sharp rebuke from the White House.
"We Get a Kick Out of It": The Vance's Response
In an interview with NBC News, when asked if the rumours were frustrating, Vance presented a different perspective. "I think that we kind of get a kick out of it," he said. He elaborated on the philosophy he and his wife share, noting, "With anything in life, you take the good with the bad." He acknowledged the sacrifices of public life but emphasised the positive aspects, praising how Usha has evolved in her new role.
Following the viral photos, a spokesperson for the Second Lady offered a simple, relatable explanation, stating she is "a mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths and forgets her ring sometimes."
A Recent Anecdote and a Unified Front
Vance shared a telling anecdote from just a few days prior to the interview. As the couple rushed to the White House before Usha departed for an event with Melania Trump, she realised she had again left her rings behind after a shower. "She was like, 'Oh, if I don't go back and get them, there's going to be some ridiculous psycho who talks about it on social media,'" Vance recounted. His response was to let it be, deeming it not worth the trip back upstairs. "So we actually have a little bit of fun with it. And we thought that whole viral social media cycle was kind of funny," he added.
The couple, who met at Yale Law School and married in 2014, have been under the national spotlight since President Donald Trump selected Vance as his running mate for the 2024 presidential election. They have three children together. Usha Vance, a former trial lawyer at Munger, Tolles & Olson, stepped away from her legal career shortly after her husband joined the Republican ticket.
Concluding his thoughts, Vance dismissed the idea that such stories are difficult for them. "It's funny," he said. "I actually don't think that it's tough." His comments serve as a direct rebuttal to the online gossip, reinforcing a message of marital strength and personal amusement in the face of public speculation.
