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Vice President JD Vance sharply dismissed a viral social media claim Tuesday that he was caught yelling at his wife, Usha Vance, inside a restaurant, sarcastically mocking the unverified photo that sparked the allegation
The image, posted on Facebook by user Thomas Clay Jr., showed Vance speaking animatedly while Usha Vance looked down at the table.
"Looks like things are not so good in Republicanistan. Usha is a liberal. Always has been. Apparently they were having an argument loud enough to quiet the restaurant," Clay wrote. "Why is he wearing a tee shirt?"
Vance responded directly on X.
"I always wear an undershirt when I go out in public to have a fight loudly with my wife," the vice president said.
The post came amid weeks of intense speculation about the couple’s marriage, fueled by separate photographs showing Usha Vance without her wedding ring.
In a wide-ranging NBC News interview last Thursday, Vance addressed the ring controversy head-on.
"I think that we kind of get a kick out of it," Vance said. "With anything in life, you take the good with the bad. You accept that there are some sacrifices and there are some very good things that come along with it, too. But our marriage is as strong as it’s ever been, and I think Usha’s really taken to it, and it’s been kind of cool to see how she’s developed and evolved in this new role."
The vice president acknowledged the scrutiny is difficult but said it was expected.
"There are certainly ways in which it’s difficult on the family … I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t," he said. "But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for."
Vance offered a detailed explanation for one ring-less appearance alongside First Lady Melania Trump, saying the couple was rushing to the White House.
"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 recalled Usha saying. "And I was like, ‘Let them. 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."
A spokesperson for Usha Vance had previously said she sometimes forgets the ring because she "does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes."
The couple, married since 2014, have three children.
Usha Vance, who rarely speaks to the media, is now leading a childhood literacy initiative.
"I think that when you’re in love with somebody, you’re always sort of curious what they get attached to and what they get interested in," Vance said. "It’s been amazing to see her really lean into this child literacy thing. And I think it speaks very highly of her."
