Vance and Usha Muddle Up Their Royal Guests in Humiliating Gaffe
The second couple admits to an embarrassing blunder ..... our must-read newsletter, The Swamp, reveals.

Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty
Donald Trump wants to crush The Swamp. The leaks, the sneaks, and the secrets are all there. Our writers,David Gardner, Farrah Tomazin, and Sarah Ewall-Wice, are sifting through the ooze so you don’t have to. Don’t miss out.
JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were faced with the stunning realization on Friday that they had mixed up the identities of the royal couple they entertained at their Naval Observatory home.
Vance, 41, and Usha, 39, may well have wondered at the youthful looks of Jordan’s King Abdullah II, 63, and Queen Rania, 55, as they savored their milk and cookies before turning in on Thursday night.
The Jordanian couple clearly made such an impression that the vice president put out a press release through his office saying the two couples met for dinner. Always good to show prospective presidential voters he was actually doing stuff.

JD Vance and his wife, Usha, entertained the Jordanian royals, but then got them mixed up in a press release.
Jacquelin Martin/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
The only problem was that the Vances didn’t dine with Jordan’s king and queen. They had spent the evening chatting with the couple’s son, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, and his wife, Princess Rajwa Al Hussein, both aged 31.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
It took a while for the truth to dawn. The first press release from the Office of the Vice President was issued to the media at 12.28 pm on Friday. The second, corrected version, was hastily sent out at 1.59 pm.

King Abdullah and Queen Rania of Jordan (left) who are not to be mistaken for (right) Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa, unless apparently you are the Vances.
Henry Nicholls/Reuters/Jordanian Royal Court/Getty Images
To be fair, most of the details in the press release were the same. The first read:
“On Thursday, September 18th, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance hosted Their Majesties King Abdullah II and Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan for dinner at the Vice Presidential Residence. The Vice President and King Abdullah II discussed the enduring partnership between Jordan and the United States and mutual efforts to promote regional peace.”
The second didn’t need a whole lot of editing. Just a copy-and-paste job on the names.
“On Thursday, September 18th, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance hosted His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein of Jordan for dinner at the Vice Presidential Residence. The Vice President and Crown Prince Al Hussein discussed the enduring partnership between Jordan and the United States and mutual efforts to promote regional peace.”

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas.
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images
A note at the bottom read: “A previous release was distributed containing factual errors.”
The morning after inquest at the Vice Presidential Residence must have been stormy. But The Swamp hears the Crown Prince and his wife were even more confused. They thought they had dinner with Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra….
This exclusive extract from this week’s edition of The Swamp is just a taste of the delicious secrets we reveal every week. Sign up here to never miss an edition.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog

ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in or create an account
Login dialog
Loading comments…
ADVERTISEMENT