The marriage of U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance (née Chilukuri) has become the latest flashpoint on social media, following remarks the Vice President made regarding his wife’s faith at a high-profile conservative event this week. The ongoing chatter includes personal attacks, rumors of marital trouble, and bizarre, unverified claims that the couple may be headed for divorce—all of which the White House has yet to formally address.
Vance Expresses Hope for Wife’s Christian Conversion at TPUSA Event
The controversy began during a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event held at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) on Wednesday. Vice President Vance, 41, co-headlined the event—part of a reworked tour honoring the late conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk—alongside Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk. The speakers primarily focused on Christian principles and urged the hundreds of students in attendance to follow Kirk’s ideology.
During his address, Vance made a highly personal admission about his Hindu-raised wife, Usha Vance:
“Most Sundays, she will come with me to church. As I’ve told her, and I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends, ‘Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly, I do wish that,’” Vance stated.
He continued, “Because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way. But if she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.”
Vance’s comments, which came days after his wife Usha had reportedly clarified that she had no plans to convert to his faith (Catholicism, which Vance converted to in 2019), immediately caused an uproar. Several political commentators and public figures, including certain MAGA influencers, publicly criticized the Vice President’s remarks.
Psaki’s ‘Blink Four Times’ Comment Sparks Earlier Rumors
The newest controversy follows close on the heels of earlier, baseless speculation about the couple’s marriage ignited by former White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Psaki made her contentious remarks during a recent podcast appearance, suggesting that Vance’s ambition for the presidency might be taking a toll on his wife:
“I think the little Manchurian candidate, JD Vance, wants to be president more than anything else,” Psaki said. “I always wonder what’s going on in the mind of his wife. Like, are you OK? Please blink four times. We’ll come over here. We’ll save you.”
Psaki went on to describe the Vice President as being “scarier in certain ways,” claiming he is a “chameleon who makes himself whatever he thinks the audience wants to hear from him.”
Vance Denies Marital Trouble Amid Public Outcry
Vice President Vance directly addressed the criticism and rumors stemming from Psaki’s comments, defending his wife and their relationship.
“I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife. I hope that my wife feels the same about me. We will keep on serving the country together,” he stated, dismissing the claims as “disgraceful.”
Unsubstantiated Speculation: Erika Kirk Photo and 2028 Ambitions
Adding to the firestorm, social media users circulating a photograph of Vice President Vance appearing “cosy” with TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk at the Ole Miss event. This led to a wave of unsourced speculation on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), suggesting a politically motivated future:
“I’d argue that JD Vance will divorce his wife because he’s embarrassed of his lineage (and that he constantly shits on with his rhetoric) and will remarry Erika Kirk prior to his inevitable 2028 run. He knows the side-by-side comparison to Newsom’s family hurts him politically,” one user posted.
It is important to note that these claims regarding a potential divorce and remarriage are entirely speculative, lack credible evidence, and have not been substantiated by any official source. The Vice President and the White House have not issued any further statement on the unverified social media rumors.