second lady Usha VancePregnant with her fourth child, she publicly disagreed with the vice president JD Vancestated that there was not always complete agreement on all issues, but the presence of differing opinions created an environment conducive to “open-minded” discussion.
“I’m not his employee. I’m not involved in this in any professional way. … We’re not going to agree on everything.” Usha Vance40, said.
“The expectation is that we can have an open conversation and that I provide meaningful input from the perspective of someone who loves him and wants him to succeed. So even if we don’t agree, I think that’s always very productive.”
Usha’s comments came as she gave a 30-minute interview with NBC News in her new studio ahead of the Monday premiere of her podcast “Storytime with the Second Lady.”
In late January, the Vances revealed that they were expecting their fourth child, a boy, due in July. J.D. and Usha will become the first vice presidential family in modern history to welcome a child while in office since 1870.
Usha Vance reacts to JD Vance’s viral pregnancy comments
She discussed their growing family further with NBC News senior national correspondent Kate Snow. Excerpts from their interview were broadcast on “Today” on March 30.
“People ask me if I’m going to have a fourth child, and I never say no,” she said. “I grew up in a household of two, and I thought that was a big number. And then I had two kids and I was like – I feel like that’s not enough, right? So I really wanted to have a third kid.”
this Vance Are the parents of three children under the age of 9: Ewan, 8, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.
She mentioned that she found out she was pregnant for the fourth time only after she became pregnant.
She also addressed viral comments her husband made at an event in Michigan this month, in which the vice president said he was “persuasive” enough to convince her to have a fourth child.
“I remember when we decided to run for vice president, I said, ‘Honey, I really want a fourth kid.’ She said, ‘Well, you can be vice president, or you can have a fourth kid,'” J.D. Vance recalled. “But, ladies and gentlemen, I’m very persuasive because I got both.”
When asked to respond to the comments, Usha chuckled and said her husband did encourage her to consider having another child “in a way,” however, “I never closed the door on it.”
