JD Vance and his wife Usha, along with their three children, will move into the Naval Observatory Residence on Jan. 20. It will be the first time they have been inside the Queen Anne-style white mansion which has been the home of vice presidents since 1970.
CBS News reported that multiple Democratic and Republican source confirmed that Vice President Kamala Harris had not extended any invitations for a sit-down, or a tour.
Usha Vance reached out via intermediaries to the staff of the current residents, Harris and Second Lady Doug Emhoff in November to ask for details, including what was needed to childproof the house. Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel are all younger than eight years old.
A Harris political appointee initially refused to answer the questions. The Vance team has been in contact with Navy aides overseeing the residence.
A person who was present at the call reported that Navy officials gave an overview of their house before Christmas to explain the layout, the logistics, and the practicalities of moving in, as well as to answer any questions they had.
Sources say that Usha Vance talked to Emhoff last week for around 40 minutes. Harris sources say that arrangements are being made to accommodate the Vance family.
Vance and Harris’s spokespersons declined to comment.
People close to Harris claim that she never had the opportunity to see the house before being sworn in as senator in 2021. She took office in 2021, during the outbreak of COVID and just after the Capitol Riot. Donald Trump refused to accept that he lost the election.
Despite claims by former Vice President Mike Pence’s advisors, an invitation to visit was never extended. He quietly invited Harris and Emhoff to visit during the last days of Trump’s administration, according to his advisers. The invitation was sent discreetly, as Trump refused to accommodate the new administration.
Democratic and Republican sources claim that Pence and Harris never met in person.
People close to Harris have defended Harris’ decision to not invite Vance, breaking a tradition broken under the Trump-Pence Administration. Harris’ team was focused on a cancelled overseas trip and the California fires.
After the 2016 election, Vice President Biden hosted Pences with his wife Jill at their Northwest Washington home.
Pence stated at the time that he was “extremely grateful” for the hospitality shown by the Vice President and his second lady.
Harris moved into the Naval Observatory Residence in April 2021, approximately three months after he was sworn in. This is because the house needed repairs.
