US President Donald Trump has stated that he would have chosen Usha Chilukuri Vance, JD Vance’s wife, as his Vice President as “she is smarter but the line of succession did not work that way”. On Monday, Usha, 39, became the first Indian-American and Hindu Second Lady following her husband JD was sworn in as the 50th Vice President of the US.
On Monday, wearing a pink coat, she held the Bible in one hand and their daughter Mirabel Rose in the other, as Vance placed his left hand on the religious text, and raising his right hand took the oath of office. As a lawyer who is the daughter of Indian immigrants – her parents’ ancestral village is Vadluru in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh – Usha is also one of the youngest second ladies assuming the position. She is the youngest second lady since 38-year-old Jane Hadley Barkley, the wife of former President Harry Truman’s Vice President Alben Barkley.
After Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States with JD as his deputy, the 78-year-old Republican addressed a crowd in the overflow room, calling them “beautiful”. Trump praised his team, especially JD, for his successful re-election bid.
He continued, “I watch JD over a period of time. I endorsed him in Ohio. He was a great senator and a very, very smart one,” said Trump, but added, “The only one smarter is his wife”. This reference made everyone around the hall laugh. Trump then looked at JD and said, “I would have chosen her but somehow the line of succession didn’t work that way, right?” “She is great and he is great. This a great, beautiful couple and an unbelievable career,” he continued.Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a mentor to Usha, administered the oath to her husband JD.
Usha had clerked for Supreme Court justices Kavanaugh and John Roberts.
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