https://redstate.com/rusty-weiss/2025/04/07/jd-vance-fulfills-convention-promise-celebrates-moms-10-years-of-sobriety-in-the-white-house-n2187570
JD Vance Fulfills Convention Promise, Celebrates Mom’s 10 Years of Sobriety at the White House
Vice President JD Vance fulfilled a promise he made at the Republican National Convention this past summer, celebrating his mother's 10th sobriety anniversary at the White House.
It is a truly inspiring and heartwarming story.
Vance's mother, Beverly "Bev" Aikins, plays a significant role in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," where she is portrayed as a complex and troubled figure whose struggles profoundly shaped Vance’s life.
In the book, she is described as a woman caught in a cycle of instability, addiction, and personal turmoil, which mirrors some of the broader challenges he attributes to the "hillbilly" community.
In the 2020 Netflix film adaptation of "Hillbilly Elegy," directed by Ron Howard, Bev is played by Amy Adams.
Vance introduced the real Bev to America at the RNC, where she received a standing ovation.
JD Vance: “I’m proud to say that tonight my mom is here. 10 years clean and sober. I love you mom.”
JD’s mom: “That’s my boy.” pic.twitter.com/rZNjWNaPVT
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) July 18, 2024
"I'm proud to say that tonight, my mom is here, 10 years clean and sober. I love you, Mom," Vance said as the cheers cascaded down from the crowd in attendance.
Chants of "JD's mom" could be heard echoing in the arena. That's when Vance had an idea.
"You know, Mom, I was thinking. It will be 10 years officially in January 2025. If President Trump is okay with that, let's have the celebration in the White House," he said.
Journalist Salena Zito reports that Vance, happily, has now been able to fulfill that promise.
“Well, here we are. And you made it, and we made it. And most importantly, you're celebrating a very, very big milestone," the Vice President said, according to Zito. "And I'm just very proud of you.”
The journalist posted accompanying pictures from the moment captured in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.
"And you know mom, I was thinking, it will be 10 years officially in January of 2025 and if President Trump 's okay with it, lets have the celebration in the White House” @JDVance July 2024 Milwaukee
“Well here we are. And you made it and we made it. And most importantly, you're… pic.twitter.com/6U4mdiw8mK
— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) April 6, 2025
The White House also announced Aikins' significant accomplishment, including a note that she received her 10-year medallion.
On Friday, April 4, Beverly Aikins, mother to Vice President JD Vance, celebrated her 10th year of sobriety in a Roosevelt Room ceremony with friends and family members. During the ceremony, Ms. Aikins received her 10-year medallion.
Ms. Aikins, a nurse at an addiction recovery center in the Cincinnati area, devotes her life to her family and to helping Americans who are struggling with addiction. In a 2024 interview, Ms. Aikins said her message to people battling addiction is, “to reach out, to try to get help, and that recovery is hard, but it’s so worth it.”
Reaction to the touching moment was universally in awe of Bev Aikins' life achievement.
"A full-circle moment. Not just for her, but for the millions of moms who fought like hell to give their kids a better life," writes podcast producer James Laverty.
"Who dreamed of something more, even when the world gave them every reason to quit. Not perfection, but a fight," he added. "And she lives to see the other side, the dreams realized."
Sure it was Trump’s day and Barron’s official if nonverbal coming out to the world, but to me the Vances were the story - and the future. Elegant Usha, their sweet kids w stuffed animals and band-aids. and then there’s JD’s mother Beverly. Both she and JD, against all odds,… pic.twitter.com/FbndHJZR5Z
— Kirsten Fleming (@KirFlem) January 21, 2025
On January 20th, 2025, Aikins took a prominent place at the U.S. Capitol for the inauguration ceremony of Donald Trump and her son, JD. Clad in a striking red outfit, she stood alongside Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, witnessing the historic moment as her son was sworn in as Vice President of the United States.
As RedState reporter Jennifer O'Connell writes, Vance's mother and her story "will give opioid addiction and recovery a powerful push forward."
This is what emerging out the other side of addiction looks like.
A full-circle moment indeed.