Usha Vance calls husband JD Vance 'powerful example of the American Dream'
Usha Chilukuri Vance cited her husband and former president Donald Trump's 2024 running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as a "powerful example" of the American Dream during her speech at the Republican National Convention Wednesday evening.
Usha Vance took center stage at the RNC to introduce her husband, who was headlining the night by accepting Trump's nomination as vice presidential running mate. The wife of the Republican bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy shared the story of how she and Vance met at Yale Law School and how their romance first began through a friendship.
"I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends with J.D.? He was then, and is now, the most interesting person I knew," she said. "A working-class guy who would overcome childhood traumas that I could barely fathom to end up at Yale Law School."
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Vance, who was selected as Trump's running mate on Monday, grew up in Middletown, Ohio. The lawmaker's famous 2016 book tells his story of living in working-class America. The Republican senator served in the Marine Corps and graduated from Ohio State University before he continued his education at Yale Law School.
During her speech, Usha Vance noted that she and her husband came from different backgrounds. She is the daughter of two Indian immigrants who grew up in San Diego. As J.D. Vance disclosed in his speech later on, he was raised by his grandmother as his mother struggled with addiction throughout much of his upbringing, though she is nearly a decade sober today.
Usha Vance grew up in the San Diego suburb of Rancho Peñasquitos and was raised by a mechanical engineer and a biologist, The New York Times reported in November 2022. The Times described the area where Usha grew up as a "close-knit" Indian American community.
She would later go on to clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also clerked for Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.
"That J.D. and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and get married, is a testament to this great country," Usha said. "It is also a great testament to J.D., and it tells you something about who he is."
The lawyer described her husband as a "meat and potatoes kind of guy," but he was willing to adapt to her vegetarian diet. She said he even taught himself how to cook Indian food for her mother. The Vances married in Kentucky in 2014 and have three young children.
Usha Vance added that her husband has not changed since assuming his new role, stating that his goals still involve keeping people safe and creating opportunities for building a better life. She said he also remains committed to solving problems with an "open mind."
"It's safe to say that neither J.D. nor I expected to find ourselves in this position," Usha Vance said. "But it's hard to imagine a more powerful example of the American Dream. A boy from Middletown, Ohio, raised by his grandmother through tough times chosen to help lead our country through some of its greatest challenges."
"I am grateful to all of you for the trust you have placed in him and in our family," she told the crowd before welcoming her husband onto the stage.
Trump announced Vance as his running mate in a Monday post on Truth Social after "lengthy deliberation and thought."
"J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association," the former president stated.
Trump said Vance "will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for, the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
