What to Know
From the moment Usha Vance announced her pregnancy on January 20, people had things to say about it. Some said Usha and her husband, Vice President JD Vance, seemed to be having a baby to fix their marriage. Others thought the pregnancy was more about the Trump administration’s political agenda, especially because JD has a history of criticizing “childless cat ladies” and trying to push people to have more babies. And some, unsurprisingly, made jokes about JD and Erika Kirk.
But now, the pregnancy announcement has sparked a new wave of backlash because four days after Usha and JD shared the news, federal agents in Minnesota shot and killed Alex Pretti. People are saying the Second Lady’s silence speaks volumes.
JD has been criticized for how he has responded to ICE-related shootings.
When I was in Minneapolis, I heard a number of crazy stories. But near the top of the list:
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 25, 2026
A couple of off duty ICE and CBP officers were going to dinner in Minneapolis. They were doxed and their location revealed, and the restaurant was then mobbed. The officers were locked in…
After an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed Renee Good, JD blamed the victim, calling the shooting “a tragedy of her own making.” When Alex was killed, JD blamed “state and local officials,” who he says “refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.” He said, “They have created the chaos so they can have moments like yesterday, where someone tragically dies and politicians get to grandstand about the evils of enforcing the border.”
On January 24, the day of the shooting, JD wrote, “This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis. It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.” He also reposted White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller’s post that called Alex an “assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents.”
The criticism made its way to Usha’s pregnancy announcement.
After the fatal shooting, people started commenting on Usha and JD’s pregnancy announcement once again, this time urging Usha to say something about Alex’s death. Some people simply commented with Alex and Renee’s names. “Alex Pretti – a nurse. It’s time to speak up,” one person commented. Another person wrote, “Today an American citizen, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital, was murdered by ICE agents while exercising his first and second amendment rights. His name was Alex Pretti. Your silence speaks volumes.”
Others had questions for Usha, like, “how do you sleep at night being married to someone who has blood on his hands from what has been going on in Minnesota?” and “That young man shot today. What if it was your son?”
Someone else wrote, “Usha aunty, what if they detained your 5 year old child?? Would your husband still state that it’s okay because laws are being enforced???? WHAT IF IT WAS YOUR CHILD?”
And some people had questions for JD as well.
“How are you going to protect your wife and children from ICE?” one of them questioned. JD has been called out before for not doing enough to defend his wife and kids.
In December 2025, JD claimed he thinks “racism is bad” when asked about Nick Fuentes’ racist comments directed at his family. “Let me be clear. Anyone who attacks my wife, whether their name is Jen Psaki or Nick Fuentes, can eat s–t. That’s my official policy as vice president of the United States,” JD asserted at the time. He then went on to talk about people “discriminating against whites,” though. Some people still wonder how Usha has managed to stay silent about all of it.
