BY VEENA RAO
Washington, DC, July 15, 2024: Former President Donald Trump has selected J.D. Vance as his vice presidential nominee for the Republican Party. Should Trump and Vance succeed in November, Usha Vance, née Chilukuri, Vance’s Indian American wife, would become the Second Lady of the United States.
Usha Vance was born in 1986 and raised in San Diego, California. She is the daughter of Hindu immigrants from India. In a recent interview with Fox & Friends, Usha Vance reflected on this, stating, “I grew up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu. That’s one of the things that made them such good people.”
JD Vance has in previous interviews attributed his personal growth to Usha. According to a 2019 article, JD realized how much healing he needed when he attended Thanksgiving dinner at Usha’s family home. Unlike the conflict-ridden environment he was used to, Usha’s family was free of conflict and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. This functional family dynamic was a revelation for JD, who observed the absence of accusations or angry exchanges among family members.
JD was particularly struck by an incident involving an estranged family member. Usha’s father explained to him that despite the estrangement, he still called and checked up on the family member, emphasizing that one cannot just turn their back on family. This was supposedly a key learning experience for JD.
Usha was a litigator at a national law firm, Munger, Tolles & Olson, a position she resigned from minutes after the announcement. “In light of today’s news, I have resigned from my position at Munger, Tolles & Olson to focus on caring for our family,” she said in a statement.
Usha and J.D. Vance, both 38, have been married since 2014 and have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. The couple met at Yale Law School, where their shared academic pursuits laid the foundation for their future together.
Usha earned her undergraduate degree in history from Yale University and subsequently obtained a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Cambridge. Her time at Yale Law School was marked by active involvement in various projects, including the Yale Law Journal, the Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic, the Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic, the Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project, and the Pro Bono Network.
After law school, Usha Vance clerked for Chief Justice John Roberts at the Supreme Court of the United States and Judge Brett Kavanaugh at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Her previous voting history shows she voted as a Democrat at least once while living in Connecticut, according to the Daily Beast.
