WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance says he’s not bothered by the swirl of marriage speculation surrounding him and his wife, Usha Vance — in fact, he insists he’s entertained by it.

In a Thursday interview with NBC News, Vance addressed the online firestorm that erupted after two back-to-back viral moments:

    his intimate-looking embrace with conservative influencer Erika Kirk at a Turning Point USA event, and

    his wife Usha later appearing in public without her wedding ring.

Vance dismissed the drama entirely.

“It’s funny. I actually don’t think that it’s tough,” he told NBC. “We actually have a little bit of fun with it.”

The Viral Hug That Sparked It

The speculation began in mid-November after footage showed Kirk placing her hand in Vance’s hair while the vice president’s hand rested on her hip — a moment critics described as “more-than-casual.”

The clip spread across X within hours, amplified by commentators who noted that just days earlier, Vance had publicly said he wished his Hindu wife would eventually convert to Christianity — a comment that already raised eyebrows.

Usha Without Her Ring — and Vance’s Explanation

Fuel was added when Usha Vance appeared at a public event without her wedding ring shortly after the clip went viral.

Vance now says there was nothing symbolic about it:

“She forgot it,” he said.
“She told me, ‘If I don’t go back and get it, someone is going to talk about it on social media.’ And I said, ‘Let them — it’s not worth the trip upstairs.’”

He added that both he and Usha found the online reaction humorous rather than stressful.

A spokesperson for Usha told People magazine that the second lady is simply a “mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.”

First On-Record Response From Vance

Although Usha’s spokesperson previously commented, Vance’s NBC remarks mark the first time the vice president himself addressed the wedding-ring incident.

The administration has made no further statements on the Kirk hug or the online speculation, and Vance made clear he plans to give the rumors no more oxygen — despite their continuing traction on social media.