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Journalism of Courage
Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday his selection of US Senator JD Vance of Ohio as his vice-presidential running mate in his bid to return to the White House.
JD Vance, who once labelled Trump “dangerous” and “unfit” for office, has undergone a dramatic transformation in his political stance. According to the Associated Press, Vance, who described Trump as potentially “America’s Hitler” due to his racist rhetoric, became one of Trump’s strongest allies on Capitol Hill after his election.
Interestingly, Vance has an Indian connection — his wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.
Usha Chilukuri Vance, an accomplished lawyer, has a distinguished career. She worked as an associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, as noted on her LinkedIn profile. AP reported that her law firm announced her departure on Monday.
“Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career,” Munger, Tolles & Olson said in a statement.
Usha’s legal experience is extensive, including roles as a Law Clerk at the Supreme Court of the United States and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She also served as a Summer Associate at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP.
Raised in a San Diego suburb, Usha attended Mt. Carmel High School and later graduated with a BA in history from Yale University in 2007. She continued her studies at the University of Cambridge, where she earned an MPhil in 2009 as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.
Her academic achievements are striking, especially considering her husband’s 2021 speech titled “The Universities are the Enemy,” in which he frequently criticized the establishment while campaigning for the Senate in 2022, according to The New York Times.
Usha and JD Vance met while both were law students at Yale University. Married since 2014, they live in Cincinnati with their three children. Their first son, Ewan Blaine, was born in 2017, and their third child arrived in December 2021.
In a Fox & Friends interview, Usha and JD discussed their differing faiths and her unwavering support for his political career. Usha, raised in a Hindu household, remarked on the importance of her religious upbringing and its influence on her support for JD.
“There are a few different reasons…One is that I grew up in a religious household. My parents are Hindu, and that was one of the things that made them such good parents, that makes them really very good people. And so I think I’ve seen that…the power of that in my own life, and I knew that JD was searching for something. This just felt right for him,” Usha shared with Fox.
JD Vance has often credited Usha’s support as crucial to his success. “I’m one of those guys who really benefits from having sort of a powerful female voice over his left shoulder saying, ‘Don’t do that, do that,’” Vance said during a 2020 interview with The Megyn Kelly Show.
“Usha definitely brings me back to earth,” Vance added, “If I get a little too cocky or a little too proud, I just remind myself that she’s way more accomplished than I.”
