Vice President JD Vance has issued a statement after his wife, Usha Vance, was pictured without her wedding ring.
The Vice President has been married to his wife Usha for over a decade, after the two tied the knot in 2014.
They share three young children, but speculation about their relationship has never been more widespread.
Vance has grown especially close to Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika, after Kirk’s death in September, and some online users have drawn their own conclusions based on certain photos.
One particular image of the two sparked mass speculation online that the two are in some kind of romantic relationship.
Erika and Vance could be seen hugging tightly with their bodies pressed up against each other, during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi.
Erika brought her hand up to Vance’s hair, and when they let go, Vance’s hand dropped to her hip.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) said: “Erika Kirk with an inappropriate greeting in Mississippi – a romantic like bear hug & over the top hair grab on JD Vance. Too passionate.”
Another added: “The way Erika Kirk and JD Vance hugged was inappropriate.”
And Erika only fueled the speculation, when she noted in an interview that she saw many similarities between the vice president and her late husband.
Speaking to Fox News, the 37-year-old said: “No one will ever replace Charlie….but I do see some similarities of my husband in JD. Vice President JD Vance.”
But it’s not the only thing that has made people question the stability of Vance’s relationship with his wife, Usha.
Usha is a successful American lawyer, and now the current second lady of the US.
Despite being married to a staunch republican, records show that Usha voted in the for the democrat party in 2014, but was registered as independent in 2017.
When Donald Trump chose JD as his running mate in 2024, The New York Times reported that Usha ‘models a new kind of Republican image.’
Usha has received a lot of racial abuse following her husband becoming the Vice President, which he was been outspoken about.
In an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, JD said: “Obviously, she’s not a white person, and we’ve been accused, attacked by some white supremacists over that.
“But I just, I love Usha.”
But now there are question marks surrounding their relationship.
Usha has also been publicly seen supporting Erika in the wake of Kirk’s death, despite the rumors about her and Vance.
And now, on numerous occasions, the Second Lady has been spotted without her wedding band.
During a visit to a military training facility in Jacksonville alongside first lady Melania Trump last week (November 19), Usha appeared not to be wearing her wedding ring.
Users online reignited the rumors that there was in trouble in paradise for Usha and JD, as one said: “Mine never leaves my finger. Never has in a decade.”
Another added: “Usha Vance not wearing her wedding ring just adds fuel to the rumor that JD Vance could be having fun with a recent widow.”
“Wives with genuine desire for their husbands NEVER ‘forget’ their rings,” a third insisted.
Following the mass speculation about their relationship, JD Vance has issued a statement.
In an interview with NBC News, he addressed the rumors.
“It’s funny,” he said. “I actually don’t think that it’s tough.”
The Vice President continued: “There are certainly ways in which it’s difficult on the family. I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t.
“But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for.”
He also shared insight into a moment where Usha realized she wasn’t wearing her ring, moments before leaving their home for a trip to the White House.
JD said: “It’s not even worth the trip to run 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.”
