‘I want more babies’: JD Vance welcomes fourth child as pronatalist debate returns

JD and Usha Vance have welcomed their fourth child, a baby boy named Alec Neel Vance, marking a rare moment in American political history and reigniting debate over the vice president's outspoken views on family and birth rates.

The couple announced the birth on social media, writing, "We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha and the baby are happy and healthy."

The birth is historically significant as Alec is the first child born to a sitting US vice president in more than 150 years. The last recorded instance was in 1870, when Vice President Schuyler Colfax welcomed a son while serving in office.

The birth has once again drawn attention to Vance's long-standing advocacy for larger families. Since entering politics, the vice president has repeatedly warned about America's declining birth rate and has become one of the country's most prominent voices supporting higher birth rates. During the 2025 March for Life rally, he declared, "I want more babies in the United States of America."

The couple's decision to have a fourth child has sparked discussion because Vance previously revealed that the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk influenced their thinking. In his memoir, Vance wrote that after speaking with Kirk's widow, Erika, who expressed regret over not having more children before her husband's death, "One life was stolen from us, but another was given."

Usha Vance later clarified that while the conversation was "very powerful" and "certainly very moving," it was not the sole reason behind expanding their family. "I had already started to open my mind to the possibility," she said in a television interview, adding that the decision was part of a discussion they had already been having.

Alec joins the couple's three children, Ewan, 9, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.

The second lady also made headlines during her pregnancy after critics linked her public appearances to the conservative pronatalist movement. Responding to commentary over an inexpensive maternity dress she wore on her podcast, she joked on social media that she looked forward to hearing what critics thought of her "elastic-waistband pants and compression socks," while her husband praised her bargain shopping.