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In podcast debut, Usha Vance drives home the importance of reading
A total of three episodes of 'Storytime with the Second Lady', an audio and video podcast, have released on streaming platforms around the world
- PUBLISHED: Tue 31 Mar 2026, 1:22 PM
Usha Vance has made her debut as a podcaster.
The Second Lady of the US recently launched her own podcast, as part of a campaign to improve literacy and encourage children to read more.
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As many as three episodes of Storytime with the Second Lady, an audio and video podcast, have released on streaming platforms around the world. The episodes have garnered anywhere between 1,600 views and 5,600 views on YouTube at the time of writing.
"I've always loved reading from when I was a kid until today. And now as a mom, story time with my kids is my highlight of the day," she says in the first episode, titled Episode One: ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ by Beatrix Potter.
"Through books we have learned about so many things about science and nature, faraway countries, ancient civilisations, America's history and more," she says and proceeds to read the book.
The second episode features former race car driver Danica Patrick with Vance as they read stories from Disney’s Cars. In the third, the Second Lady is joined by American paralympic bronze medalist Brent Poppen.
Her focus on reading, however, is no accident, coming at a time when learning outcomes seem to be on the decline in the US.
A National Assessment of Educational Progress report for 2024-25 points out that barely 31% of fourth and eighth graders are proficient in reading. "The continued declines in reading scores are particularly troubling," the report, dubbed 'The Nation's Report Card', said. "Reading is foundational to all subjects, and failure to read well keeps students from accessing information and building knowledge across content areas."
Interest in education
The daughter of Indian-origin professors and a graduate in history from Yale University, Vance said the target audience for the podcast is children who are in late preschool or early elementary school.
In an interview with NBC News, Vance, also a former lawyer, added that the podcast complements what educators and families are already doing and encourage kids to get excited about reading.
“There's schools and states that are working so hard on this right now, and I'm not planning on jumping into those schools and telling them what to do,” the second lady said.
Fourth child on the way
Vance, 40, is pregnant with her and Vice President JD Vance's fourth child, with the due date slated around July. The couple have three children: Ewan, 8, Vivek, 6, and Mirabel, 4.
Her turning mother for the fourth time will be the first since a vice presidential spouse has given birth while in office since 1870.
