Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance say they've learned to laugh at the online rumor mill that has grown around their marriage, including the speculation sparked by tabloid-style headlines about her occasionally being seen without her wedding ring.
"I think that we kind of get a kick out of it," the vice president said Thursday in an interview with NBC News when asked if the couple felt frustrated by the recent wave of stories.
Vance, speaking from his West Wing office decorated with family photos, said the speculation has become less a source of stress than an ongoing joke between them.
"With anything in life, you take the good with the bad," he said, adding that the scrutiny comes with "some sacrifices, and there are some very good things" as well.
"But our marriage is as strong as it's ever been," he insisted.
The couple has been married since 2014.
The gossip cycle intensified last month after Usha Vance was photographed with a bare ring finger during a visit to a military base alongside first lady Melania Trump.
A spokesperson for the second lady told publications that she is "a mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes."
Vance said the couple has tried not to give the moment more weight than it deserves.
"It's funny," he said. "I actually don't think that it's tough."
He described a recent example that, in their view, captured the absurdity of the attention. The couple was rushing to the White House before Usha Vance left for another event with Melania Trump when she realized, again, that she had left her rings behind after showering.
"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.
He said he urged her not to bother: "Let them. It's not even worth the trip to run back upstairs."
Usha Vance's absent ring, he noted, drew fresh headlines anyway, validating their expectation that the online churn wouldn't miss the detail.
Still, Vance acknowledged that the attention can have real downsides, particularly for their family.
"There are certainly ways in which it's difficult on the family," he said. "I'm not going to pretend that it isn't."
"But it's the sacrifice that we signed up for."
The couple's three children — ages 3, 5 and 8 — have reacted differently to the family's higher profile, Vance said.
Their oldest, he explained, prefers privacy and is uncomfortable around cameras, while the 5-year-old "probably likes it too much," enjoying the special treatment that can come with public appearances, including candy and cookies from admirers.
Usha Vance, who rarely gives interviews, has stepped into a more public-facing role in the Trump administration by leading a program focused on childhood literacy and development, traveling to read with children and encourage them to talk about their favorite books.
The vice president said he's enjoyed watching her embrace the work.
"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," he said.
Calling himself "very biased," he added that the effort has become "a new adventure" for them.
"We've both had a good time," Vance said.
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