Usha Vance on Life's 'Switch Flip' After Husband's VP Nomination

Usha Vance, wife of Vice President J.D. Vance, discussed the dramatic changes in her life following her husband’s selection as Donald Trump’s running mate.

In a rare interview with The Free Press, Usha Vance opened up about the seismic shift in her life after her husband, J.D. Vance, was chosen as President Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate. Previously a lawyer with a casual wardrobe suited to her outdoor lifestyle and family life with their three children, Usha found herself thrust into the spotlight as the nation’s second lady.

The ‘switch flip’ moment, as Usha described it, occurred without warning. “The day before J.D. was selected—I did not know he was going to be selected—I was working as a lawyer,” she recalled. The sudden change brought her from relative obscurity to public fascination, highlighted by her appearance at the Republican National Convention in a cobalt-blue Badgley Mischka dress that she purchased herself.

Despite the intense scrutiny and the shift in lifestyle, Usha has been warmly received by the MAGA movement. “People don’t seem to care all that much what I look like,” she noted, emphasizing the positive reception she has experienced. Her background, neither particularly wealthy nor fashion-oriented, has not hindered her integration into this new world.

However, the transition has not been without challenges. Usha shared an incident at The Kennedy Center where she and J.D. were heckled during a concert, an unexpected intrusion into what they hoped would be a normal evening out. Such experiences underscore the complexities of their new public roles, as Usha navigates the balance between her private life and the demands of her husband’s political position.