Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President JD Vance, made history as the first American Second Lady of Indian-American origin following her husband’s swearing-in as the 50th US Vice President under Donald Trump’s administration. She recently proved her grace and sharp wit while addressing public backlash against her husband’s controversial remarks.
Born to Indian immigrant parents from Andhra Pradesh, she happens to not only be the youngest Second Lady since Jane Hadley Barkley, but also a woman with excellent merit, including a first-class degree from Yale University followed by her Juris Doctorate from the Yale Law School.
The 39-year-old lawyer and mother of three defended JD Vance after the statements he made flared widespread criticism, reportedly even leading Donald Trump to question his choice of Vance as his running mate. The controversy centered on a viral clip shared by actress Jennifer Aniston, where JD Vance accused Democratic leaders of being “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and … want to make the rest of the country miserable too.”
JD Vance says women who haven’t given birth are “childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives” and shouldn’t be in politics because they “don’t have a direct stake” in America pic.twitter.com/Djw5CNKXcJ
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) July 25, 2024
Usha Vance addressed the backlash on Fox News, describing her husband’s remarks as a “quip” and proclaiming that he would “never, ever, ever want to say something to hurt someone who was trying to have a family or was struggling with that.”
She also emphasized that numerous people have valid, justified reasons for not having children, highlighting the need for sensitivity on the subject. Amid the controversy, JD Vance questioned why several high-profile Democrats, including Kamala Harris, do not have children. Harris, who lost to President Trump in recent elections, does not have children of her own but is a stepmother to both of her husband Doug Emhoff’s children.
As per BBC News, Vance argued that leaders without children were making decisions about the future despite not having a “direct stake in it.” He suggested that individuals without children often live in small apartments, prioritize wealth, careers, and “status,” and ultimately “hate” those with families and homes, whom he described as happier and better suited to lead the country.
Defending his remarks, JD Vance pointed to the phrase “childless cat ladies” as a sarcastic comment meant to dismiss his broader argument. “People are focusing so much on the sarcasm and not on the substance of what I actually said,” he told conservative media personality Megyn Kelly.
He explained that his purpose was not to criticize those without children but to criticize what he perceives as the Democratic Party’s shift towards being “anti-family and anti-children.” Furthermore, as per NTDV World, President Donald Trump praised Usha after her comments, calling her “smarter” than her husband and humorously adding that he would appoint her to the office if the system worked differently, while JD Vance smiled and agreed.
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Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony was held on January 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C., which saw several prominent figures in attendance, including India’s Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar. He also attended the maiden Quad ministerial meeting under the Trump administration, focusing on maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
