Who is Usha Vance? The Indian-origin wife shaping Trump’s VP pick

Usha Vance, the Indian-origin wife of JD Vance — Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 US elections — is much more than a political spouse.

Transcript

00:00Usha Vance taught JD Vance, second-in-command to Trump, which cutlery to use for which part

00:05of a formal meal.

00:06The first Indian-origin second lady of US, Usha Vance, has had a role in shaping JD Vance's

00:11political career.

00:13Having ancestral roots lie in Wadluru, a village in Andhra Pradesh, Usha was born to a mechanical

00:18engineer father and a molecular biologist mother, who moved to the US in the 1980s.

00:24The story of JD and Usha began in the halls of Yale Law School.

00:28In his 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance wrote how he fell hard for Usha, describing

00:33her as a genetic anomaly because she possessed so many ideal qualities.

00:38Vance recalled how he violated every rule of modern dating by telling her he was in love

00:43after one date.

00:44As a hard-working child of immigrants, Usha moved between Cambridge, Yale and the Supreme

00:48Court.

00:49For many, she embodies the American dream, proof that hard work and determination can open

00:54doors to the highest levels of success.

01:03Even JD Vance, at 40, is in awe of his wife's achievements and once said her accomplishments

01:08leave him feeling humbled.

01:10In his book, he said that his wife taught him which cutlery to use for which part of a

01:14formal meal.

01:15As a meat and potatoes guy, Vance had to adjust not only to her vegetarian lifestyle but also

01:20to the social and cultural differences.

01:22Marrying Usha meant learning to cook Indian dishes for her family.

01:25While JD Vance was a self-described atheist, Usha, raised in a Hindu family, inspired him

01:30to revisit spiritual questions.

01:32After one rough interview, Vance stomped out of a hotel room in frustration.

01:37Instead of reacting, Usha reminded him, it's never acceptable to run away.

01:41Since her husband became Trump's running mate, the mother of three has adopted a behind-the-scenes

01:45role, in part because of her desire to shield their young children aged 7, 4 and 3.

01:51Even so, she stepped forward a few times, like introducing him at the party conference,

01:55a working class guy who overcame childhood trauma I could barely fathom.

01:59And according to Vance himself, Usha played a huge role in helping him process that trauma,

02:03especially his struggles with anger.

02:06In fact, when comments by JD Vance, in which he called some Democratic politicians, childless

02:10cat ladies resurfaced on social media, it was Usha who stepped in for damage control.

02:15She brushed it off as a quip, explaining that he was simply highlighting the struggles of

02:19working families in America.

02:21Through it all, Usha has been more than just a partner.

02:24She's been his spirit guide.