JD Vance and Usha Vance have been the subject of divorce rumors since he entered the national spotlight with his vice presidential candidacy in 2024. Speculation about the state of their marriage has only intensified since the former Ohio senator was elected to the role, with the couple’s sly attempts to quell the rumors doing little to shut down the gossip. In fact, Usha herself has dropped more than a few breadcrumbs suggesting there’s merit to those divorce rumors — including one eyebrow-raising comment she made in a recent interview.

Advertisement

Speaking on Meghan McCain’s “Citizen McCain” podcast for her first extended interview, Usha reflected on her life since becoming second lady of the United States. At one point, she hinted at the disconnect between her and JD, as she revealed that she didn’t learn of her husband’s nomination until about five minutes before the news came out, and roughly an hour before his name was officially called on the floor. “That’s crazy!” McCain replied, expressing what we’re probably all thinking. “Yeah, so I would say the way that I felt was just overwhelmed with the practicalities of things,” said Usha, who elaborated. “We had to suddenly move hotel rooms, we suddenly had a Secret Service detail, and there was really no opportunity for reflection or anything like that.” Usha admitted it wasn’t until much later that she was finally able to really process it all. “I realized how much changed, and what the opportunities are. It really was like a bolt of lightning.”

Advertisement

We spoke to Nicole Moore, a celebrity love coach and creator of Love Works Method, who explained what this might mean for JD and Usha’s marriage. 

If Usha Vance felt betrayed about being kept out of the loop on JD Vance’s decision to enter the national race, she didn’t let it show. During her June 2025 appearance on Meghan McCain’s podcast, the Yale University graduate came across as calm and collected while discussing her husband’s unexpected leap into national politics. She also seemed at ease talking about her new role as Second Lady of the United States, which Nicole Moore tells us, “indicates that the sudden change either didn’t stress her out that much, or she’s had enough time to emotionally process the change.”

Advertisement

However, that isn’t to say that JD’s unexpected career shift won’t pose problems in their marriage. As the love coach explained, such abrupt changes can create tension in a relationship due to outside stressors and uncommunicated expectations between partners. This is especially true for people in high-pressure careers like JD and Usha. “High pressure careers often involve one partner spending the majority of their time working or traveling, and this can cause a huge emotional disconnect,” Moore said. “When it feels like their partner is all about work and the connection suffers, that’s when resentment brews.” 

Therefore, it’s important for those with highly demanding jobs to exert effort in making their partner feel loved and appreciated, while also being upfront about expectations to avoid misunderstandings. “Using clear communication, not empty promises, and setting expectations upfront is a way to mitigate the risk of their partner being disappointed and hurt,” stressed Moore.

Advertisement