JD and Usha Vance Say Erika Kirk’s Regret Shaped Their Fourth Child Decision

In his forthcoming book, Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, Vice President JD Vance suggests that the assassination of his friend Charlie Kirk led to the Vances’ fourth pregnancy.

The vice president writes:

“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.”

The Vances are busy raising three children: Ewan (8), Vivek (6) and Mirabel (4).

Prior to being elected vice president, Vance served as a United States senator in Ohio, beginning in 2023. He served in the U.S. Maries then met his wife, Usha, while they were both attending Yale Law School. They married a year after graduation. 

Vice President Vance and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk forged a strong friendship after Vance had been elected to the Senate. They would get together whenever possible and spoke regularly on the phone – especially as the media spotlight homed in on the Ohio senator during the 2024 campaign.

When Senator Vance expressed concern that son Ewan was beginning to resent the family’s fame and attention, Kirk counseled him.

“Don’t try to convince your son it’s not a sacrifice,” Charlie told him. “It is. Just try to take some solace in the fact that it’s a worthy sacrifice. I’ll say a prayer for you.” 

But then came the awful day in September 2025. After news of Charlie’s murder, the Vances flew to Utah to minister to Erika. VP Vance writes about it in his new book:

“As my wife held Charlie Kirk’s widow on the first day of her terrible sorrow, Erika told Usha between sobs that she regretted having only two kids with Charlie.”

There’s little doubt the Kirks wanted more children and they likely would have if Charlie had not been assassinated.

“Get married,” urged Charlie Kirk back when he was alive. “Have children. Build a legacy. Pass down your values. Pursue the eternal. Seek true joy. Having children is way more important than having a good career.”

According to Vice President Vance, the time grieving with Erika Kirk had a profound impact on his wife.

“Something changed for Usha, and not long after we buried my friend, she became pregnant with our fourth child, a boy,” Vance writes. 

He then added:

“One life was stolen from us, but another was given. I don’t know why God does things like this. But I am grateful to Him that there will soon be another source of joy in our lives. Another person added to the communion of our family and hopefully to that of the Church. Another person to whom I will sing, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know.’ Another beautiful soul to wonder at, and fall in love with, God’s beautiful creation.”

Few people know anyone who regrets having too many children, but we all know people who wish they had more.

As Christians, we should be the most vocal and effective promoters of marriage and children – and we do that by modeling the blessings of a happy family filled with as many souls as the Lord sees fit to loan us.