Meet Usha Vance, Second Lady of the United States

August 13, 2025

Usha Vance, the 39-year-old second lady of the United States and wife of Vice President JD Vance, has played a significant role in her husband's political rise despite traditionally staying out of the limelight. Born to Indian immigrant parents in California, she built an impressive academic career that includes degrees from Yale, Cambridge as a Gates Scholar, and prestigious legal clerkships with Supreme Court justices. Though her own political views remain somewhat ambiguous—having been registered as a Democrat while clerking for conservative justices—she is described by friends as her husband's "spirit guide" in an equal partnership.

Who is affected

Usha Vance herself as she assumes the role of second lady
JD Vance, whose political career has been influenced by his wife
The Vances' three children (Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel)
Indian-Americans and people in India who take pride in her accomplishments
Usha's relatives in Andhra Pradesh, India
The American public who will be impacted by policies influenced by the Vice President's inner circle

What action is being taken

Usha Vance is filling the position of second lady of the United States
She has occasionally been in the media spotlight, including for a controversial trip to Greenland
JD Vance and Usha are actively raising their three young children together with different parenting approaches
Relatives in India are expressing pride in her accomplishments

Why it matters

Usha Vance represents an embodiment of the American Dream as a child of immigrants who achieved significant success
She has significant influence on the Vice President of the United States in what friends describe as an "equal partnership"
Her background bridges different political worlds, having been registered as a Democrat while also having connections to conservative legal circles
Her achievements have symbolic importance in India, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, where her great-grand-aunt describes her as "one in a millionth" for climbing to the top in a foreign country

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC