Congressman Ro Khanna Defends Usha Vance: Accomplished Indian-American Second Lady Amid Religious Controversy

US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance board Air Force Two

In the midst of controversy surrounding US Vice President JD Vance's remarks about his wife's faith, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has publicly defended Second Lady Usha Vance, highlighting her achievements as an "accomplished daughter of immigrants."

The controversy emerged after JD Vance mentioned that he would appreciate if his Indian-origin, Hindu-raised wife converted to Christianity. The Republican Vice President noted that Usha accompanies him and their children to church, as they are being raised Christian. Following criticism, Vance clarified that his wife "is not a Christian and does not plan to convert."

Addressing the situation on social media platform X, Congressman Khanna stated: "No one has been harsher on @JDVance policy than I have. But his wife is an accomplished daughter of immigrants and they have young kids. Attack the policies. Leave his family out of it."

Political commentator Meghan McCain also expressed support for the Second Lady, praising Usha Vance's "poise, intelligence and grace" and describing her as "a huge asset."

In her X post, McCain shared: "As the only person to conduct a sit down on camera interview with our Second Lady. She is not only a huge asset because of her poise, intelligence and grace - but women across the country love and admire her."

McCain further characterized the Second Lady as "personally my favorite person in the Trump administration," and applauded her as a "modern mother and a style icon" whose appeal "crosses party and political lines."

Usha Vance (née Usha Bala Chilukuri) grew up in San Diego's working-class suburbs, born to Indian immigrant parents who moved to the United States in the late 1970s. Her father worked as a mechanical engineer while her mother was a molecular biologist.

A Yale University history graduate and Gates Scholar at Cambridge, Usha later returned to Yale for her law degree, where she met JD Vance in 2010. The couple connected through a student discussion group focused on "social decline in white America," a topic that later became central to Vance's bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

In his book, Vance wrote that he "fell hard" for Usha, describing her as a "genetic anomaly" because she possessed numerous qualities he considered ideal.