Can the Vances make it Cool to Have Kids?

Victor Joecks on Jan 26, 2026

Vice President J.D. Vance is putting his own spin on MAGA -- Make America Grow Again.

Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance recently announced that she is pregnant. Their fourth child, a boy, is due in June. Usha isn't the only woman connected to the White House who is expecting. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller, wife of Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, are both pregnant, too.

Talk about leading by example. This baby boom fits perfectly with the vision J.D. Vance articulated at last year's March for Life.

"I want more babies in the United States of America," Vance said. "I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them."

Sadly, an increasing number of people aren't interested. A recent New York Times poll found that among childless 18-to-29-year-olds, just 57% said they would like children in the future.

Among all childless women, the rate was 32%, while among men it was 43%. There's a stark partisan divide here, too. Just 25% of former Vice President Kamala Harris voters said they wanted kids. Among President Donald Trump voters, it was 43%. These percentages are lower because the sample includes those aged 45 and older.

It's unsurprising then that America's fertility rate hit a record low in 2024. The fertility rate has been below replacement level for more than 15 years. This baby bust will have significant negative consequences in the future.

The problem is worse in other countries, especially in Asia. Last year, China had the same number of births as in around 1738, Reuters reported. Its population is now shrinking. South Korea's anemic fertility rate is on pace to cut the country's population in half within 60 years.

Governments around the world have tried in vain to reverse this trend. Their main strategy has been throwing money at it, which hasn't worked. That's because raising a child requires far more work and commitment than a full-time job. Even payments worth thousands of dollars do little to change that calculus.

Think of the irony. Modern society put a man on the moon, but can't reproduce itself as well as civilizations that used stone tools. Here are some reasons why.

First, the sexual revolution disconnected sex from marriage and reproduction. Young men have always wanted to have sex. Throughout human history, societies steered that desire toward marriage, a foundational pillar of civilization. This benefitted societies by channeling the strength and competitiveness of young men into something productive -- providing for their families. It also led to more babies.

Today, teenagers can readily view pornography on their phones. Sex isn't saved for marriage, but treated as a recreational activity. If that leads to pregnancy, the next step isn't for a man to marry his girlfriend, but to drive her to an abortion clinic.

America slaughters 1 million preborn babies annually. Experts then wonder why the birth rate is so low.

Next, modern feminism told women to find fulfillment in climbing the corporate ladder, not motherhood. That's the path to misery. As the Institute for Family Studies has detailed, marriage and children bring parents greater connection and happiness.

Finally, popular culture doesn't promote marriage and motherhood. Social media glamorizes vacation selfies, not comforting a crying baby three times in one night. Mothers, especially moms of large families, should be treated like societal rock stars.

What's needed isn't just better laws, but a change in personal priorities. People need to believe the truth.

For a married couple, having kids is one of the most meaningful and rewarding things anyone could ever do. The Vance family is living proof of that.

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Victor Joecks is a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the Sharpening Arrows podcast. Email him at vjoecks@reviewjournal.com or follow @victorjoecks on X. To find out more about Victor Joecks and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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