Speculations over US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Second Lady Usha Vance’s separation engulfed the internet after she was spotted without her wedding ring at Camp Lejeune, a military base in North Carolina, alongside first lady Melania Trump earlier this week.
Though Usha has been seen without her ring in the past, her recent occurrence set tongues wagging amid renewed controversy surrounding her husband JD Vance’s interaction with conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s widow and Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk and his comments on Usha’s faith.
One user on X joked that Usha was ‘quiet quitting her husband’ while another said ‘there were signs…’ and posted an image of Vance hugging Kirk.
Others were more supportive of Usha, with one user writing, “So many people leave their wedding rings at home when they travel. Plenty take them off at night and forget to put them back on because they’re juggling kids and real life. And somehow these clowns spin that into a ‘gotcha’? The reach is absolutely insane”.
JD Vance-Erika Kirk hug controversy
During a memorial event held in remembrance of Kirk last month, Vance was seen embracing Erika in a warm hug that sparked buzz online.
Several netizens romantically linked the two, despite Vance being married to Usha due to Erika’s head tilt and hand placement over Vance’s head, which many called “passionate”.
“Her hands are then outstretched high as she walks towards him. This gesture tends to display to an audience a high level of emotionality, and here, an intent to engage in a passionate, emotional embrace,” a body language expert, identified as Mark Bowden, had earlier told OK!
The hug had also made headlines as it came in the backdrop of Vance’s comments stating that he wished his Hindu wife Usha would embrace Christianity in the future, clarifying that he wouldn’t force her to convert.
Usha’s team dismisses rumours
Amid growing speculation, Usha Vance’s representatives dismissed rumours of a separation. Her team told the Washington Examiner that she sometimes forgets to wear her ring due to her busy home life.
They stated, “She is a mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes and gives lots of baths,” explaining that missing a ring is hardly unusual for a hands‑on mother.
