What Usha Vance Really Thinks About Melania Trump

Usha Vance, our current Second Lady, doesn’t get as much camera time with First Lady Melania Trump as her husband JD does with President Trump. Sure, the guys are out there constantly, but Usha and Melania? It’s been pretty low-key—except for that recent trip they took together to a military base in North Carolina a few weeks back.

Before all this, Usha had built an impressive career as a trial lawyer in the U.S., even clerking for the Supreme Court and federal appeals courts. Her life with JD was fairly private until his memoir blew up in 2016. By 2019, she was at the law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, handling big cases in areas like higher education, government, entertainment, and tech.

But when Trump picked JD as his VP running mate, things changed fast. She stepped away from the firm, which put out a nice statement praising her work and wishing her well. Usha said she was resigning to focus on family, thanking everyone for the great years there.

Now, she’s put her career on hold to support JD and take on Second Lady duties. She hasn’t been super public about it, but that North Carolina visit with Melania was a highlight—they spent the day at Camp Lejeune, meeting military families and kids at schools on base.

In a recent chat with USA Today, Usha opened up a bit about adjusting to this new chapter. She admitted there are parts of her old life she misses, but she’s also glad to move past others and is enjoying the moment overall.

People have been curious about how she and Melania get along, especially since they seemed pretty comfortable together on that trip. Turns out, Usha says they’re quite different but click just fine.

“I’ve really liked getting to travel with her some and chatting about stuff like raising kids in this wild lifestyle, or our hobbies and interests,” she shared. “We’re not the same at all, but that’s okay—we can still have good conversations.”

 Photo by Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images

She went on to praise Melania’s style, calling her super focused and effective at going after what she wants. “She puts everything she’s got into her projects,” Usha said, noting how Melania tackles things methodically, one step at a time.

“That’s inspiring for me, even though I’m working on different things,” she added. “She’s making real progress in her own way.”

 Photo via White House / Associated Press

It’s nice to hear some genuine insight into their dynamic—sounds respectful and positive, even if they’re coming from different places.

What do you think—could Usha end up as First Lady someday? I’d love to hear your take!