JD Vance's Mom Was By His Side For Inauguration (& It Was A Milestone Moment For Her Too)

Momma made it to the big day. When JD Vance placed his hand on the Bible and was sworn in as the United States' 50th vice president, he had his mother, Beverly Aikins, smiling back at him. Wearing a bright red shirt that matched her son's tie, Aikins stood next to JD's wife, the transformative Usha Vance, and their three children, Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel, as they all watched JD join Donald Trump for his second term in office.

While Vance may have had to weather a difficult campaign trail to make it to the White House, Aikins had to weather her share of tragedy to make it to Inauguration Day as well. She wrote a long post on Facebook documenting the fact that she had just been treated for a heart condition and a hernia, and she was only discharged from the hospital on January 9. With the inauguration only days away, Aikins still knew she had to be there, writing in her post, "My recovery is slow, but I have an inauguration to attend on January 20. Nothing will stop me from being there." 

Her determination and pride was a poignant U-turn from the Aikins whom JD told NBC News almost killed him in a speeding car. In his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," JD also recounted Aikins attacking him (per The Independent), which led to her arrest and Vance being taken in and raised by his grandparents. But for Aikins and JD, the inauguration was a warm sign that we can all change — though we wonder if Trump's administration will get the same message.

JD Vance's big promotion wasn't the only event that Beverly Aikins was celebrating. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that the inauguration came the day of Aikins' 64th birthday, which was reportedly the day after she marked 10 years of sobriety. The extra reasons to celebrate are especially poignant given that Vance has written about the difficulties that both he and she had as she battled her issues with substance abuse. Vance detailed in "Hillbilly Elegy" how she even used his urine for her own drug test (via The New York Times). 

But Aikins has clearly come a long way, and as proud as she was of her son, Vance has also repaid the favor, with Forbes posting a video to YouTube showing him celebrating her sobriety on stage at the Republican National Convention in July 2024. He said, "I'm proud to say that tonight, my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, Mom." Word is still out on whether the official date is January or July, but the sobriety milestone remains worth celebrating — just ask the RNC crowd who broke into a chant of "JD's mom." In fact, the feel-good story feels like a second chapter, and given that she's not on the list of celebs who can't stand Vance, someone should get Amy Adams on the phone and see if she'd be willing to reprise this second coming of Aikins in a hypothetical "Hillbilly Elegy 2."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).