JD Vance Jokes About Wife's Bargain Dress
US Second Lady Usha Vance's choice of an $8.75 maternity dress from Old Navy has sparked a lighthearted response from her husband, Vice President JD Vance, who jokingly suggested she should head the federal budget. The comment came after Usha Vance poked fun at media scrutiny of her maternity wardrobe.
In a post on X on Thursday, JD Vance shared a picture of the dress receipt and wrote, "She bought a $50 dress for $8.75. America: meet your next director of the federal budget!" The post quickly went viral, drawing attention to the couple's frugal shopping habits.
Usha Vance Responds to Fashion Column
The exchange began when Usha Vance responded to a New York Times fashion column by Vanessa Friedman titled "The Politics and Power of the Pregnancy Image." The column analyzed the public presentation of pregnant women in the Trump administration, including Usha Vance, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Katie Miller, wife of Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Friedman noted that Usha Vance appeared in a Father's Day Instagram Reel wearing "a stretchy coral dress that hugs her stomach." She argued that the women "showcased their growing stomachs" after announcing their pregnancies, creating a "consistent, and somewhat paradigm-shifting, picture of the White House's family and fertility platform."
Usha Vance fired back on X, saying, "Now that we know the political significance of my $8.75 coral maternity dress from Old Navy, can't wait to hear what the New York Times has to say about my elastic-waistband pants and compression socks!" She added a photo of the receipt, emphasizing the discount price.
Humorous Take on Political Symbolism
Usha Vance, who is expecting the couple's fourth child while JD Vance serves as vice president, used humor to dismiss the article's interpretation. She invited followers to enjoy her pregnancy fashion—or lack thereof—and a story with her kids on "Storytime with the Second Lady."
The New York Times column had highlighted the women's role in representing the administration's family platform. Friedman wrote, "As second lady, her job is also to represent and humanise the vice president. By spotlighting her pregnancy, she is doing exactly that."
The Vances' exchange underscores a broader trend of public figures using social media to counter media narratives with personal anecdotes. The $8.75 dress, originally priced at $50, became a symbol of fiscal prudence and family values.
