Who is Usha Vance? The divisive wife of Republican VP candidate JD Vance
Today, we’re unpacking the life and political views of Usha Vance, a woman who could, on 5 November 2024, potentially become the second lady of the United States. Usha is the wife of JD Vance, the current vice presidential candidate running alongside Donald Trump. Usha’s life has been steeped in controversy, from accusations of social climbing to being linked to the “great replacement” conspiracy, and even defending her husband’s long list of controversial comments. There’s certainly a lot to unpack about the lawyer who’s got everyone talking, so let’s get started!
Who is Usha Chilukuri Vance?
Usha Chilukuri Vance first stepped into the national spotlight after her husband was selected as Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 US presidential election. Following this announcement, the 38-year-old quickly left her legal career and debuted on the political stage, introducing her husband at the Republican National Convention (RNC).
“That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry is a testament to this great country, it is also a statement to JD, and it tells you who he is, a tough marine who fought in Iraq but whose idea of a good time is playing with puppies and watching the movie Babe,” Usha Vance told the crowd. She then continued: “Although he is a meat and potato type of guy, he learned how to cook vegetarian food, and cook for my mother Indian food.”
@cspanofficial Usha Vance, the wife of Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), on Wednesday introduced her husband on the third night of the Republican National Convention. #ushavance #jdvance #rnc #rnc2024 #cspan
♬ original sound - C-SPAN
The 38-year-old Indian American wife of vice-presidential candidate JD Vance has been embraced by many Republicans as a symbol of the party’s evolving generational dynamics and growing diversity. She is a corporate lawyer and practising Hindu. She is the daughter of Indian immigrants, Krish and Lakshmi Chilukuri, who originate from Andhra Pradesh and later settled in California. Her father is an engineer and university lecturer, while her mother is a biologist and college provost, and both are part of a close-knit community of Indian American academics in suburban San Diego.
During an interview with Fox News, Usha Vance stated: “I did grow up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu. That was one of the things that made them good parents, made them good people.”
Following her law school graduation, Usha Vance clerked for Justice Brett Kavanaugh—Yes, that one—when he was serving as an appeals court judge in Washington, and later for Chief Justice John Roberts on the Supreme Court.
What is Usha Vance’s net worth?
While Usha Vance’s net worth isn’t publicly available, her real estate holdings offer some insight. In 2014, the lawyer and her husband bought a home in Washington DC for $590,000, which is now valued at around $850,000. They still owe $480,000 on the mortgage.
Moreover, in 2018, they purchased a $1.4 million home in Cincinnati’s East Walnut Hills, valued at approximately $1.8 million. This property is owned by an LLC for protection.
How did Usha Vance and JD Vance meet?
The pair first crossed paths on campus at Yale, where Vance quickly found himself “[falling] hard” for his classmate. The VP candidate detailed this moment in his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.
The former lawyer also shared during her introduction of Vance at the Republican National Convention how at first they were just friends: “We were friends first, because, I mean, who wouldn’t want to be friends with JD? He was, then as now, the most interesting person I knew, a working-class guy who had overcome childhood traumas that I could barely fathom to end up at Yale Law School, a tough Marine who had served in Iraq, but whose idea of a good time was playing with puppies and watching the movie.”
The couple graduated in 2013, married the following year, and have since settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they are raising three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.
Interestingly, the pair’s wedding made for quite the news headline when photos from the ceremony began circulating online. Those who were more familiar with Vance’s discriminatory side were taken aback to see that the VP candidate and his wife had a very traditional Hindu wedding, conducted by a Hindu priest.
The pair’s relationship has ignited controversy due to the perceived tension between Usha’s South Asian background and her husband’s political views, which have been criticised for implicit racism and explicit xenophobia. This has led many to question whether Usha has set aside some of her own beliefs for the sake of her marriage.
Some online commentators have expressed their dismay, noting the irony of Usha celebrating the opportunity to fall in love with JD while the audience was holding signs reading “MASS DEPORTATION NOW.”
Another X user stated: “I have zero empathy for anyone that turns their backs on their own communities for clout. Usha Vance is a sell-out and class traitor, no different than queer cops & maga trans women. immigrants are the moral fabric and backbone of this country. The RNC is sinister and evil.”
What’s the great replacement conspiracy
After Vance’s nomination, there has been a noticeable rise in criticism surrounding his marriage to a non-white partner. Many netizens have voiced concerns about a possible surge in Indian immigration and the so-called Great Replacement conspiracy, with these posts accumulating hundreds of thousands of views according to engagement metrics.
Stop AAPI Hate, an organisation dedicated to tracking anti-Asian hate incidents, has condemned these attacks. They argue that the surge in hate has intensified the fear and anxiety experienced by Asian Americans and immigrants nationwide as the presidential election approaches.
Defending the ‘childless cat ladies’ comment
During a sit-down interview with Fox News on Monday 5 August, Usha defended her husband’s controversial comment about “childless cat ladies,”—a comment he made in one of his classic ‘family values’ rants.
These comments date back to a 2021 appearance on a conservative podcast, where Vance argued that childless Americans, particularly those in positions of leadership, were “more sociopathic.” Vance at that time also claimed that the “most deranged” and “most psychotic” commentators on Twitter (now known as X) were typically childless.
@nowthisimpact Kamala Harris needs to start making ‘childless cat lady’ merch ASAP 🐈 Back in 2021, J.D. Vance attacked politicians on the left for not having children, arguing that they should have less of a say in politics because they don’t have a ‘stake’ in the future of the country. Vance said that these ‘childless cat ladies’ are ‘miserable,’ when in reality, childless, single women are among the happiest demographics in the country. #kamalaharris #jdvance #catlady
♬ original sound - NowThis Impact - NowThis Impact
Usha, ever eager to defend her husband, spoke on this matter in the interview: “The reality is, JD made a quote—I mean, he made a quip, and he made a quip in service of making a point that was substantive, And I just wish sometimes that people would talk about those things and that we would spend a lot less time just sort of going through this three-word phrase or that three-word phrase.”
During the interview, the former lawyer also addressed reports suggesting that both she and her husband had privately criticised Trump before JD Vance joined him on the Republican ticket. Usha acknowledged her previous outrage over Trump’s actions, especially after the 6 January 2021 Capitol riots, but noted that she has since come to “understand” the former president better.
“Well, you know, I’ve had several years since then to kind of understand what it is that he is out to do,” Vance said of Trump. “If I didn’t feel that the ticket, you know, the Trump-Vance ticket was able to do some real good for the country, then I wouldn’t be here supporting him and JD wouldn’t have done this,” she continued.
JD Vance needed his wife to defend his childless cat woman comments. NO Usha Vance! We heard him made those comments in multiple recorded and live interviews. Go gaslight someone else with your Bullshit. pic.twitter.com/YH2oJ5qAKN
— Mad Genius 🐈🐈⬛🐈🐈⬛ (@MGenius15636) August 6, 2024
Is Usha Vance really happy?
Politics aside, is Usha really happy? The Daily Beast zoomed in on one moment at RNC, evidently one where Usha didn’t look best pleased, and came to the conclusion that this was a woman trapped: stuck in love with a man who made a Faustian bargain with Donald Trump.
“But then the smile faded and at other moments she appeared fatigued and had a ‘What am I doing here?’ look,” the Daily Beast’s Michael Daly wrote.
"He's gonna be a great vice president," Trump says of JD Vance, who smiles, waves, holds hand over his heart. Crowd chants, "JD! JD!"
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) July 19, 2024
"So JD, you're gonna be doing this for a long time," Trump says. "Enjoy the ride."
JD looks thrilled. Usha looks uneasy. (I don't blame her.) pic.twitter.com/amCpkvdDux
The clash between Usha’s background and Republican politics has ignited two distinct reactions. One view paints her as a victim or reluctant partner in her husband’s political ambitions, suggesting she’s trapped or coerced. The other argues that she’s fully aware of her role and supports her husband’s agenda with full knowledge of how truly dangerous he is.
Cheryl Hines
— Pebbles 🇺🇸 (@cpebbles21) August 5, 2024
Melania Trump
Usha Vance
These women are NOT victims.
They are willing participants. They knew who these men were before they married them and they are happy to support them still.
They are just as evil as their husbands. pic.twitter.com/CotXKXkUmb
At this point, all I can say is that only Usha Vance knows where she truly stands on her husband’s politics. And maybe it’s time to accept that her own ideology might be just as conservative and extreme as Vance himself. What do you think?
