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Vice President J.D. Vance Fulfills Promise To Mother
Vice President J.D. Vance celebrated his mother’s 10 years of sobriety with a ceremony at the White House.
Vance said at the Republican National Convention, his first speech as the vice presidential nominee, that they would celebrate her milestone.
“I’m proud to say that tonight, my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, Mom,” Vance said during his speech, CBS News previously reported.
“You know, Mom, I was thinking. It will be 10 years officially in January of 2025, if President Trump is okay with that, let’s have the celebration in the White House,” he added.
Vance’s mother, Beverly Aikins, celebrated a decade of sobriety at the White House.
“This year marks my mom’s 10th year of sobriety, and I’m grateful that we were able to celebrate in the White House with our family. Mom, I am so proud of you,” Vance said.
This year marks my mom’s 10th year of sobriety, and I'm grateful that we were able to celebrate in the White House with our family. Mom, I am so proud of you. pic.twitter.com/aGIKebEPYb
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) April 7, 2025
The Telegraph reports:
Surrounded by friends and family Ms Aitkins received a medallion marking her decade in recovery on Friday.
Her struggle with drug and alcohol addiction was laid bare in Mr Vance’s memoir Hillbilly Elegy and during the vice-presidential debate last October.
“I was raised in a working class family,” he said. “My mother required food assistance for periods of her life. My grandmother required social security help to raise me.
“And she raised me in part because my own mother struggled with addiction for a big chunk of my early life.”
Ms Aikins grew up in a violent household. Her addiction issues began when, working as a nurse, she would take painkillers to ease headaches. She later began taking the opioid Percocet and finally heroin.
Her recovery started in 2015. After living in her car, she moved into a sober living facility and her successful recovery was celebrated by Mr Vance when he accepted the vice-presidential nomination.
@VP JD Vance marked a powerful moment at the White House on Friday — celebrating his mom Bev's 10 years of sobriety with their family. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/KgXHlEcjE2
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 7, 2025
What an incredible moment.
Vice President JD Vance invited his mother and extended family to the White House to celebrate her 10th anniversary of sobriety. pic.twitter.com/3kKwzWFtXX
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) April 7, 2025
From the Washington Examiner:
Vice President JD Vance stood at the head of the table in the Roosevelt Room during one of the most significant moments of his life, joined by his mother, Beverly Aikins. Despite the presence of about 20 family members and friends, including his wife, Usha, and their three children, there was a brief moment when it felt like only JD and his mother existed as their eyes met and locked.
“I remember when I gave my RNC convention speech, which was the craziest thing, and I even said during the speech that we would have your 10-year medallion ceremony at the White House,” Vance said, smiling as he motioned around the historic West Wing meeting room named after two former presidents.
“Well, here we are. And you made it, and we made it. And most importantly, you’re celebrating a very, very big milestone. And I’m just very proud of you,” he said as he teared up, adding, “I’m, I’m gonna try not to cry here.”
For everyone in attendance who had traveled from Kentucky and Ohio to share this important milestone with Aikins and Vance, the word “here” wasn’t just significant because they were in the White House conference room across from the Oval Office. The word “here” also meant that Aikins had survived the addiction that had left her and her son’s life in turmoil for decades.
Sitting to her son’s left as her two grandsons intermittently sat beside her or on her lap, she listened as he recalled her story of recovery, redemption, and hope with the watchful eye of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Rider portrait above him.
“When I think about everything you’ve accomplished over the last 10 years and the fact that when I was thinking about becoming a father, I didn’t know whether you would live long enough to have a relationship with my kids. And now here they are, almost 8, 5, and 3, and you’re the best grandmother that these kids could ever ask for,” he said as both son and mother’s eyes welled.