Overview
- Usha Vance announced on Jan. 20 that she is expecting the couple’s fourth child, due in late July.
- In a Slate column, Heather Schwedel portrayed the pregnancy as a political signal and described Vance as "a willing participant" in her husband's agenda.
- The column referenced rumors about a possible split and an alleged link to Erika Kirk that critics say rely on a single photographed hug.
- Conservative outlets and figures, including Townhall, the Daily Caller, and Rachel Bovard, denounced the article as misogynistic and unfair, and journalist Cathy Young called the premise "gross."
- Fox News reported no comment from the White House, the Vances, or Schwedel, and noted the last second lady to give birth was Ellen Colfax in 1870.