JD Vance writes that Charlie Kirk’s September 2025 assassination profoundly affected his family and prompted Second Lady Usha Vance to reconsider having more children, according to an excerpt from his memoir in the Wall Street Journal. Vance recounts consoling Erika Kirk after the killing and quotes Erika expressing regret over having only two children—an exchange that preceded Usha’s pregnancy with the Vances’ fourth child, due in late July. The excerpt also describes Kirk as a close friend and political confidant and highlights Vance’s 2019 conversion to Catholicism.
JD Vance Says Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Prompted Second Lady Usha Vance To Have Fourth Child
JD Vance says Charlie Kirk’s assassination convinced wife Usha to have another baby
Vice President JD Vance writes that the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk deeply affected his family and led Second Lady Usha Vance to change her mind about having another child, according to an excerpt from his new memoir published in the Wall Street Journal.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, are expecting their fourth child in late July (Getty)
In Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Vance recounts consoling Erika Kirk after her husband was fatally shot on a Utah college campus in September 2025. While comforting the grieving widow, Erika told Usha that she regretted having only two children—a remark Vance says helped shift his wife’s position on expanding their own family.
Vance wrote that Charlie Kirk helped him become a better parent as he and his wife adjusted to life in the spotlight of national politics (Getty)
"For years I had asked Usha to have another baby, and for years she had told me she was done—especially now that public service had elevated us into the national spotlight," Vance writes. "But something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy."
Vance adds a religious reflection: "One life was stolen from us, but another was given," and notes that the Vances already have three children—Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4—with a fourth child due in late July.
Vice President JD Vance has spoken at several Turning Point USA events alongside Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk (Getty)
The memoir excerpt also describes Kirk as a close friend and political confidant who helped the Vances adjust to life in the spotlight. Vance says he often discussed "the stresses national politics placed on our family" with Kirk, who advised him on helping his eldest son adapt to constant cameras and security by framing public attention as a sacrifice for their political movement. Vance writes that his son gradually adjusted.
Kirk, a prominent conservative Christian voice known for viral debate videos and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed in September 2025. Vance says he and his wife flew to Utah after the assassination to support Erika Kirk and accompany Charlie Kirk’s casket home.
Since the killing, Vance has appeared as a guest speaker at Turning Point USA events and publicly supported Erika Kirk, who now runs the organization. The memoir centers on Vance’s conversion to Catholicism in 2019 and serves as a follow-up to his earlier bestseller, Hillbilly Elegy. Vance has frequently discussed how his Catholic faith intersects with his public policy views and has been a vocal proponent of larger families; he has also drawn controversy in the past for remarks about "childless cat ladies."
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