The Silent Burden of Usha Vance: 5 Secret Facts of America’s Second Lady (3 of 3)

Protective of the Narrative around JD

When JD incites controversy, what some may not know is that Usha is quietly attempting to repair the damage or, at the very least, reframe the message. For instance, when her husband criticized “childless cat ladies” in Washington, Usha was there to handle the PR nightmare that followed. Critics said his comments had sexist undertones, but Usha attempted to steer the conversation towards family values and political representation instead.

In a similar situation, JD made a comment years ago about hating the police that resurfaced, and she offered a different lens, offering that his comments weren’t necessarily anti-law enforcement, but were just a reflection of his personal trauma. Her role has been very delicate, one where she does not publicly contradict his antics, but works to bring out the forgivable nuances in his missteps to protect him from outrage.

Navigating Different Religions in Their Marriage

One of the biggest challenges that could have made their marriage very difficult is that JD and Usha both practice different religions. Usha practices Hinduism, and JD converted to Catholicism back in 2019. They have distinct paths religiously, but they have found a way to embrace their differences in faiths and thrive on respect and mutual understanding. Usha has been somewhat forthcoming about the fact that raising her children in a multi-faith household is challenging, but that they honor their differences in culture and religion instead of letting it divide them.