On July 15th, at the RNC, Donald Trump announced his VP pick, none other than JD Vance, his leading candidate from the shortlist. The Ohio Senator, known for embracing Trump’s populist agenda despite past criticism, has the full support of his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, as he proudly accepts the role of Trump’s running mate for the 2024 elections. As the bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy steps into the spotlight, here is everything to know about his Indian-American wife and family.
Who is JD Vance’s wife, Usha Vance?
The rising star of the MAGA movement, set to become the voice of the youth, climbed the ranks to become the vice presidential candidate for former President Donald Trump on Monday in a very short time. The 39-year-old first met his wife at Yale Law School in the 2010s. Interestingly, they initially bonded over a group project discussing "social decline in white America,” as per the NY Times.
Also read: Donald Trump chooses senator JD Vance as his vice president pick
Vance strongly identified with the subject because he grew up in tough financial circumstances in Ohio. His mom struggled with addiction, and his dad wasn't around much during his childhood, so his grandparents took care of him most of the time. Despite these difficulties, Vance ended up doing very well for himself. He has been an ex-venture capitalist, a successful author, and a current leading political figure, showing no signs of looking back.
Usha, a fellow student at Yale, helped Vance organise that group discussion. Raised in a diverse neighbourhood in San Diego by Indian immigrant parents, she saw the decline of white society as both intellectually stimulating and personally meaningful. At that time, she was dating Mr. Vance, and she is now known as his wife, Usha Vance.
{{/usCountry}}Usha, a fellow student at Yale, helped Vance organise that group discussion. Raised in a diverse neighbourhood in San Diego by Indian immigrant parents, she saw the decline of white society as both intellectually stimulating and personally meaningful. At that time, she was dating Mr. Vance, and she is now known as his wife, Usha Vance.
{{/usCountry}}Also read: Trump officially nominated for president, after picking JD Vance as running mate
Meet Usha Chilukuri Vance
Usha and JD Vance have three children. While Mrs. Vance generally keeps a low profile, she has made occasional political appearances, including during his 2022 Senate campaign in Ohio. Usha works as a litigator in San Francisco and Washington, D.C. She has also clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as for Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Judge Amul Thapar.
“Usha was like my Yale spirit guide,” Vance praised his wife in his best selling book “Hillbilly Elegy.” The Trump's VP pick added, “She instinctively understood the questions I didn’t even know to ask, and she always encouraged me to seek opportunities that I didn’t know existed.”
Usha and JD’s wedding
After meeting at Yale, where they dated for years, the couple finally decided to get married in 2014 in Kentucky. Reportedly, a Hindu pundit officiated the wedding. They have three kids named Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. Vance announced the birth of their third child in 2021. “Everyone please meet Mirabel Rose Vance, our first girl. Mama and baby both doing great, and we’re feeling very grateful this Christmas season,” he earlier posted on his social media announcing the big news.
Vance credits Usha for his ascent
As a devoted husband and father, balancing his professional and personal responsibilities, a feat echoed by his wife Usha, the Ohio Senator has consistently acknowledged Usha's role in supporting his career.
“I’m one of those guys who really benefits from having sort of a powerful female voice over his left shoulder saying, ‘Don’t do that, do that,’” he said during his 2020 interview with The Megyn Kelly Show.
“Usha definitely brings me back to earth,” Mr. Vance added, “If I get a little too cocky or a little too proud, I just remind myself that she’s way more accomplished than I.”