JD Vance brags about ‘persuasive’ power over wife Usha as ANOTHER woman gives him cold shoulder
US Vice President JD Vance joked about his powers of persuasion over wife Usha during a rally in Brewer, Maine, claiming he had convinced her to let him become vice president and have a fourth child despite her saying he could only have one or the other. The remark came at an event promoting defence manufacturer CompoTech, but the visit was overshadowed by Republican senator Susan Collins deliberately staying away, in an apparent snub that echoed a similar no-show during Vance's previous trip to the state in May.
Vance, 42, said his wife Usha, 40, had told him before he took office that he could either be vice president or have a fourth child, joking "I must be pretty persuasive, because I got both" — a reference to the couple's son Alec, born in July, the first child born to a sitting vice president in 156 years. Collins, who faces a tough re-election battle in a state with one of the country's oldest electorates, cited a scheduling clash for skipping the event, though her campaign insisted she had a good working relationship with Vance; she has previously broken with the administration over issues including Canada tariffs and cabinet nominations. Vance also appeared alongside former Maine governor Paul LePage, who is running for the state's second congressional seat, a district rated as likely to favour Republicans following Democrat Jared Golden's retirement.
- Vance joked about persuading Usha to let him be VP and have a fourth child.
- Senator Susan Collins skipped his Maine rally, again appearing to snub him.
- Vance also campaigned with Paul LePage ahead of a key congressional race.
New here? Start with this
Vance is the current US vice-president, serving under Donald Trump, and is married to Usha Vance; the couple have three older children and welcomed a fourth, Alec, in July, making him the first child born to a sitting vice-president in over 150 years. Vance was speaking at a campaign-style event in Brewer, Maine, for CompoTech, a defence manufacturer, part of a wider push to shore up Republican support in the state ahead of upcoming elections.
Susan Collins is Maine's long-serving Republican US senator, known for occasionally breaking with her own party, including President Trump's administration, on issues such as tariffs and cabinet appointments. She faces a difficult re-election fight in a state that leans more moderate than much of the Republican base, so her decision to skip Vance's event, as she also did on his previous visit to Maine, has drawn attention as a sign of political distance between the two.
Paul LePage, a former governor of Maine, also joined Vance at the event; he is running for a US House seat left open by the retirement of Democratic congressman Jared Golden, in a district generally seen as favourable to Republicans. The visit sits within the broader context of Republicans trying to strengthen their position in Maine, a state with a mixed political history, before the next round of elections.