7 days ago
JD Vance Revealed Secret Service Names for His Kids in Podcast Interview
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Vice President JD Vance revealed the code names that the Secret Service uses to protect his family, including the handles for his three children, on a podcast released Monday.
During the first episode of Katie Miller's eponymous show—titled The Katie Miller Podcast—the pair mostly discussed juggling parenthood and the vice presidency.
Miller served as communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence and is also married to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
Teasers for the podcast show Vance saying the names but the audio is muted. However, he said that they start with the letter B, one is a name of a dinosaur and that there are individual "theme songs."
When reached by email, the White House referred Newsweek to Vance's team. A spokesperson for Vance then told Newsweek there was no further comment.
Why It Matters
Vance's disclosure of details about the Secret Service code names used for his kids underscores how family anecdotes from high-profile figures can quickly spread in news cycles, raising security and privacy questions for families who receive Secret Service protection.
What To Know
During his interview with Katie Miller, Vance spoke at length about parenting anecdotes that included his children's fanciful statements and how the family treated Secret Service code names as a source of amusement.
"Mirabel is [redacted]. They all chose them," Vance said, naming each child and their code name.
"Vivek is [redacted] because he's very high energy. And Ewan is [redacted], which is a kind of dinosaur I didn't even realize," he added.
Vance and his wife Usha have three children, Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 3.
JD Vance looks on from a pit box before a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13, 2024, in Concord, North Carolina.
JD Vance looks on from a pit box before a NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 13, 2024, in Concord, North Carolina.
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
"There's this one artist that has a song about bees. She has a song called, we are the dinosaurs marching," Vance told Miller. "And then she also has a song called, like, blast off another rocket ship run. So, their Secret Service code names actually have their own theme song, which they're really excited about."
Usha Vance previously said, "We have code names now. Our kids had a lot of fun with that," Today reported in January.
The vice president also told Miller during the podcast that his children don't quite understand what he does, although they do know he is on television a lot.
"We don't try to bring our kids into the public eye, but we also don't avoid it," Vance said. "We just try to have a normal life as much as we possibly can."
What People Are Saying
Elon Musk posted to X, formerly Twitter, a reply to a clip of the podcast: "JD is a good guy through and through."
Donald Trump Jr. posted the clip on X, saying: "Really fun interview with @KatieMiller and @JDVance."
What Happens Next
It is unclear if the code names will be changed by the Secret Service following the interview.
While the names were not heard, the letters and themes could give away the children's titles and prompt additional security protocols.
