Usha Vance’s friends reveal she found Capitol incursion and Trump’s role in it ‘deeply disturbing’
WASHINGTON, DC: Potential second lady Usha Vance apparently harbored strong feelings of "revulsion" toward former president Donald Trump, particularly in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection.
According to friends, her disapproval of Trump was evident after his election in 2016 and became especially pronounced after the attack on the Capitol by his supporters.
As one friend told the Washington Post, "Usha found the incursion on the Capitol and Trump’s role in it to be deeply disturbing. She was generally appalled by Trump, from the moment of his first election."
Usha Vance's political background and speculations about her political opinions
Usha Vance has been subject to speculation regarding her political beliefs. Despite being a registered Democrat in the past, she has voted in Republican primaries in Ohio, where she resides with her husband, JD Vance.
The Washington Post reported that since her time at Yale Law School, where she met her husband, Usha has remained reticent about her political views. However, as her husband's political career ascended within the Republican party, some interesting insights into her former opinions have surfaced.
Friends and classmates have shared their reactions to Usha Vance's political stance and her appearances at Republican events. Describing her participation at the Republican National Convention, where she was seen sitting with Trump, friends found the scene "surreal".
A Yale classmate expressed surprise, saying, "Was I surprised to see her there to support a man who seems to be building political power by punching down at trans folks and immigrants? Yeah, that part caught me off guard."
Usha Vance's evolution in political alignment mirrors that of her husband. JD Vance, who once compared Trump to "Hitler," also underwent a notable shift. Usha's voting history includes registering as a Democrat at least twice, and she remained registered with the party until 2014.
Despite working for two conservative judges, her husband remarked that she had "no ideological chops" after her interviews with Justice Elena Kagan, a Democratic appointee, and the late Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon. Ultimately, Usha chose to work for Chief Justice John Roberts before moving into private practice.
In a statement from JD Vance's campaign, strategist Jai Chabria, a "longtime family friend," noted, "As has been well documented, JD became a supporter of President Trump over time. Usha has had a similar shift in views and fully supports Donald Trump and her husband and will do whatever she can to ensure their victory this November."
JD Vance once couldn't 'stomach' Donald Trump
JD Vance's initial aversion to Donald Trump was clear in his writings and public statements. In a July 2016 article for The Atlantic, JD Vance compared Trump to "cultural heroin," describing him as a "new pain reliever" that offered simple solutions to complex problems without the capability to deliver real results.
“To every complex problem, he promises a simple solution,” Vance wrote, criticizing Trump's promises, such as bringing jobs back by punishing offshoring companies or curing the opioid epidemic by building a wall along the US-Mexico border.
“He never offers details for how these plans will work, because he can’t. Trump’s promises are the needle in America’s collective vein.”
Vance acknowledged that Trump's messaging resonated because the issues he highlighted were genuine. "Trump is cultural heroin. He makes some feel better for a bit. But he cannot fix what ails them, and one day they’ll realize it," he wrote.
In an August 2016 interview with NPR’s Terry Gross, Vance made known his reluctance to support Trump, saying he “might have to hold my nose and vote for Hillary Clinton,” even joking about writing in his dog's name on the ballot.
He said, "I think that I’m going to vote third party because I can’t stomach Trump. I think that he’s noxious and is leading the White working class to a very dark place. And ultimately I just don’t share Hillary Clinton’s politics.”
In his book's 2018 print run, Vance revealed he had voted for a third-party candidate in 2016 but supported Trump in 2020.
Following the release of the 'Access Hollywood' tape in October 2016, where Trump was heard bragging about groping women, Vance condemned Trump’s behavior on X (formerly Twitter).
He tweeted, "Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us." He later deleted this tweet.
