Kamala Harris seems adamant on not leaving the Naval Observatory residence, the traditional home for U.S. vice presidents since the 1970s, in a dignified manner. Reports indicate that the current vice president has declined to invite Vice President-elect JD Vance and his wife, Usha, to the residence before Monday’s inauguration.
Various sources from both the Democratic and Republican parties have informed CBS News that Harris has rejected the idea of welcoming the Vances for an official meeting or even a casual visit to their new residence. This decision follows a request from Usha Vance in November for details about the property to ensure it is child-proofed for their three children, all under eight years of age.
According to CBS News:
During the period before Christmas, officials from the Navy offered an overview of the residence to discuss its layout, moving logistics, and practical aspects, aiming to address any queries the Vances may have had about the property, as per a source familiar with the discussion.
Mighty gracious of Kamala and Doug. Doug Emhoff apparently did take some time away from his spin classes to hold a 40-minute phone call with Usha Vance, but pre-inauguration access to the residence has apparently been denied.
Here’s a bit more from the reporter who broke the story:
Scoop: When JD Vance moves into the Naval Observatory residence on Jan. 20 with his wife Usha and their three young children, it will be his 1st time there. No invitation for a formal sit-down or tour has been extended by VP Kamala Harris, multiple D and R sources told CBS News.…
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 14, 2025
Scoop: When JD Vance moves into the Naval Observatory residence on Jan. 20 with his wife Usha and their three young children, it will be his 1st time there. No invitation for a formal sit-down or tour has been extended by VP Kamala Harris, multiple D and R sources told CBS News.
No get-together between then-VP Mike Pence and incoming VP Kamala Harris ever took place. Pence quietly made an opportunity for Harris and Doug Emhoff to visit Naval Observatory while he and Karen Pence were traveling, per sources familiar with the offer, which was made discreetly, when Trump was refusing to acknowledge that he lost and was resisting accommodating the Biden-Harris transition.
The story alleges that, back in 2021, then-Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, broke with tradition and did not invite Harris and Emhoff to visit the Observatory, although Pence confidantes say an invitation was issued quietly. The two couples, however, never did end up having a meeting at the residence.
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The CBS News story reports that Kamala simply doesn’t have the time to meet with the Vances or give them a tour because she is so focused on the California wildfires. RedState’s Bonchie reported Monday on the vice president’s ineptitude when dealing with said wildfires, commenting:
It’s scary to think that she was almost President of the United States. Every single time I hear her speak in public, I’m reminded of just how much of a vapid empty suit she is. This is a woman who offers nothing of substance to any situation she’s involved in. It’s always a confusing mix of platitudes because it would take actual work for her to offer more, and she’s the laziest major politician I’ve ever seen.
It’s a complete cop-out for Team Kamala to make excuses for not allowing the Vances access to the vice presidential residence in order to ease the transition for their young family. After all, Kamala is the woman who styled herself as “Momala” to her step-kids. It’s clear that she’s simply too bitter about 2024 to be even slightly gracious to the incoming administration.
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