Trump VP JD Vance says Kamala Harris snubbed his family during White House transition
While speaking on 'The Katie Miller Podcast,' Vance said that his family was 'rebuffed' by former Vice President Kamala Harris over a courtesy visit. He called it typically 'customary' for an outgoing vice president to show the incoming one the office's official residence, which is located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory. The white nineteenth century home, found on a 73-acre plot, has housed every vice president since Walter Mondale in the 1970s.
Vance said he had proposed to bring his three children to see their new home, who were all under the age of eight at the time, but his request was rejected.
'They had never seen this house, and Usha [Vance] really wanted show them, so what we actually proposed is, recognizing the weirdness of the politics, can Usha take the kids over and just show them where they're going to be living for the next four years?' Vance said in an episode released Monday.
Saying they were 'rebuffed,' Vance noted that he instead showed his kids old diagrams and photographs, and noted that one of his friends in Ohio owned a book about the vice president's residence.
'That's as close as they ever got to it, but it's a really beautiful house,' Vance said.
In recent years, some vice presidents have hosted their successor and their families before they take office — but there is no formal tradition or requirement.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife had welcomed then Vice President-elect Joe Biden in 2009. The Bidens also introduced incoming Vice President Mike Pence to the residence in 2016.
However, there was no official meeting between Pence and Harris, though they did speak on the phone. CBS News previously reported that people close to Harris said she was never given the opportunity to visit the home before she was sworn in. She took office during the COVID pandemic and amid the Capitol riot in January 2021.
As Vance's comments went viral on social media, supporters and critics of Harris pounced.
"That's petty if true," one user said on X.
Another user wrote: 'Just wait until he moves into the White House in 2029!'
'All this guy does is b---- and moan. That's all any of them do. We've ceded the entire country and any progress to grievances from prissy whiners,' a journalist added.
A different user described the decision as 'very telling.'
'Thank goodness we literally dodged that bullet,' they continued.
Vance added that Harris had left a 'nice note' in his West Wing office, calling it 'boilerplate' but 'polite.'
'It actually feels like a real home now,' he said.
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