Latest news with #NavalObservatory
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Usha Vance Addresses Her First Lady Chances
Second Lady Usha Vance has opened up about the prospect of husband Vice President JD Vance ascending to the presidency in 2028, and the chances of becoming the next First Lady. In a candid interview with Meghan McCain, recorded at the Vice-Presidential residence at One Observatory Circle in Washington, D.C, she said: "I'm not plotting out next steps," adding that she would be happy to be "along for the ride" if her husband became president. Newsweek contacted the White House via online form on Friday for comment. Usha Vance has passed the historic milestone of being the first South Asian and Hindu Second Lady, but she is steering clear of stating any political ambition, whether in the short term or as potential First Lady. As Vice President, husband JD is widely regarded as the leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028, though he has yet to formally declare his candidacy. Usha Vance addressed the subject on Wednesday's episode of the podcast Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain, with her host describing it as a "very exciting possibility." "There is not a small chance you could be our first lady in a few years," said former View co-host McCain. "I wanted to know is that stressful for you, is it exciting, is that something you think about, is this something everyone is asking you everywhere you go?" Usha offered a measured response, emphasizing that her current priority lies squarely in the present moment: "Well, people do ask about it," the attorney said, adding, "three years ago, or maybe it was four years ago at this point, I had absolutely no intention of leading any sort of life in politics, it really is that rapid. "And then when we moved our kids to school in this area it was with no intention whatsoever of JD running for a new office and so my attitude is that this is a four-year period where I have a set of responsibilities to my family, to myself, to obviously the country, and that's really what I'm focused on." "I'm not plotting out next steps or really trying for anything after this," she noted. "And in a dream world, eventually I'll be able to live in my home and kind of continue my career and all those sorts of things. "And if that happens in four years, I understand, if that happens at some other point in the future, I understand, I'm just sort of along for the ride and enjoying it while I can." Usha also announced during the interview that the couple are expecting their third child. She also revealed that it's been "really hard" for JD to quit driving since assuming office. The Second Lady discussed living at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C, and how much she appreciates the staff there. However, the couple maintains close ties to Ohio and considers it their true home. Meghan McCain on her podcast to Vance: "I really just am such a fan of yours, I think you're so cool, I really hope you are a first lady someday, and I don't mind saying that, you don't have to say, it I will." McCain also praised Usha's humility and perspective on motherhood and public life. Usha talked about looking forward to bringing projects to light that she is interested in and working on things she is excited about. She recently launched a children's reading initiative, her first public-facing project since her husband became Vice President. Related Articles Usha Vance Opens Up About Family Life in Rare InterviewTrump Doesn't Rule Out Military Force to Take GreenlandPutin Issues Arctic 'Conflicts' Warning Over Trump's Greenland PlansGreenland Solves Political Crisis Hours Before JD Vance Visit 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Second Lady Usha Vance opens up about interfaith parenting with Vice President JD Vance
Second Lady Usha Vance opened up in a new interview about how she and husband JD Vance raise their three children in an interfaith household, as Usha is Hindu and the vice president is Catholic. Usha Vance spoke to Meghan McCain on her podcast, "Citizen McCain," about raising her three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel, at the Naval Observatory, as well as the transition into becoming the second couple. "At the time when I met JD, he wasn't Catholic, and he converted later and when he converted, we had a lot of conversations about that because it was actually after we had our first child, maybe it was after Vivek was born too," she said. "When you convert to Catholicism it comes with several important obligations, like to raise your child in the faith and all that." "We had to have a lot of real conversations about how do you do that, when I'm not Catholic, and I'm not intending to convert or anything like that," Usha continued. The second lady said it was helpful because she felt she had a say over the directions of their lives. "So what we've ended up doing is we send our kids to Catholic school, and we have given them each the choice, right? They can choose whether they want to be baptized Catholic and then go through the whole step-by-step process with their classes in school," she said. Vance said their oldest child has done that, and added that they make going to church a "family experience." "The kids know that I'm not Catholic, and they have plenty of access to the Hindu tradition from books that we give them, to things that we show them, to the recent trip to India, and some of the religious elements of that visit," Vance continued. Usha Vance was also the subject of a New York Times profile published Wednesday, which described some friends as "bewildered" by her going from once being a Democrat to the spouse of a Republican vice president. Others said, however, that she naturally soured on the left over time, and she was reportedly outraged at Democratic attacks on future Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his wrenching confirmation process in 2018; she clerked for Kavanaugh when he sat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. "People close to the vice president, who went from being a vocal critic of now-President Trump to his running mate, argue that Ms. Vance went on a similar but less public journey that soured her on the left," the Times reported. Usha Vance spoke to Fox News in August while her husband was on the campaign trail and told host Ainsley Earhardt how she deals with negative press coverage of her husband. "Sometimes I don't see it all, and sometimes I do see it and I look at and think, well, this is not the JD I know, this is not accurate," she said at the time. "And other times it might span discussions or thoughts about what we should do next or how we should live. But I think we've been doing this now for a little while, and I've gotten kind of accustomed to it and grown a bit of a thick skin to it." Usha Vance met JD Vance at Yale University, and the couple married in 2014. Vice President Vance, 40, is the third-youngest vice president in history and first millennial to hold the office, and Usha Vance is the first Indian-American second lady.
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Usha Vance Opens Up About Family Life in Rare Interview
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. In a rare interview from the Naval Observatory, second lady Usha Vance spoke with conservative commentator Meghan McCain about adjusting to public life and the realities of raising three young children while in the high-profile political role. The conversation also offered a glimpse into the Vance family's world, from their love of Ohio to the vice president's talent as an "excellent, amazing baker," and Usha's reliance on a group chat of friends for style advice. Why It Matters Second lady Usha Vance has largely kept a low speaking profile while in office, with Wednesday's Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain podcast episode offering insight into the couple and family as a whole. McCain, who praised Usha Vance several times during the interview and used the conversation to announce her pregnancy and seek parenting advice, did not vote for the Republican ticket led by Donald Trump and JD Vance in November 2024. Instead, she wrote in her late father, Senator John McCain, who was the previous Republican nominee for president in 2008. What To Know Usha, 39, is a legal scholar and academic powerhouse, having earned degrees from Yale College and Yale Law School, where she met JD Vance, as well as a master's from Cambridge. She holds an extensive list of legal accomplishments and fellowships, including a clerkship with Chief Justice John Roberts on the U.S. Supreme Court—a role she told McCain she began just seven weeks after giving birth. Usha was raised in San Diego, California, by Indian immigrants who came to the area in pursuit of higher education, she told McCain. Up until Vance was nominated as President Donald Trump's running mate in July 2024, she was working as a trial lawyer at Munger, Tolles, and Olson. The couple has three children: two sons, Ewan and Vivek, who are 8 and 5, and a daughter, Mirabel, who is 3. Second Lady Usha Vance on a June 25, 2025 interview on Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain podcast. Second Lady Usha Vance on a June 25, 2025 interview on Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain podcast. Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain podcast/YouTube Raising A Multi-Faith Family When Vance converted to Catholicism, "we had to have a lot of real conversations," Usha, who is Hindu, and told McCain that she is "not intending to convert," she said. When asked how the couple manages both faiths and presents them to their children, Usha said they offer their children the opportunities to explore both religions and make their own decisions. "We send our kids to Catholic school and have given them each the choice," she noted. Their oldest child, Ewan, has decided to be baptized Catholic. Usha says going to church is "a family experience," even though her kids know she is not Catholic. "They have plenty of access to Hindu tradition - from books that we give them to things that we show them to the visit recently to India and some of the religious elements of that visit." The family travelled together to India in April, visiting historic sites such as the Taj Mahal among others. In addition, Usha says the children have access to learning about Hinduism through their relatives, telling McCain, "My grandmother is a particularly devout Hindu." The family doesn't necessarily celebrate Hindu holidays at home, but the second lady floated the idea of a Holi party next year. She told McCain that all three of her children eat meat, unlike her. Vegetarianism is a common diet among Hindus. US Vice President JD Vance (2R) and his wife Usha Vance (2L), along with their children Ewan (C), Vivek (R) and Mirabel, pose for a photo in front of the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi... US Vice President JD Vance (2R) and his wife Usha Vance (2L), along with their children Ewan (C), Vivek (R) and Mirabel, pose for a photo in front of the Akshardham Temple in New Delhi on April 21, 2025. More KENNY HOLSTON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Transitioning to the Public Eye and Maintaining Normalcy Throughout the interview, Usha Vance emphasized her efforts to maintain a sense of normalcy for her family—a priority that influences many of their decisions, including whether to bring their children to public events. "Almost every decision is directed at making it as much like what it would have been like if they had been growing up in Cincinnati as we planned," she told McCain. "So sometimes that means they are at public events because if there were a cool military parade or something like that they'd want to go see it, and if their dad was going to go be doing something that they're interested in they want to be with him and experience it as a family of five and not just dad's off doing this other thing," she explained. However, the couple "also make a lot of decisions that keep them out of the public eye and make them have to do pretty normal prosaic things" such as handling everyday chores like putting away laundry or cleaning up spills—despite having staff members nearby who offer to help. Beyond parenting, Usha Vance acknowledged that "one of the things that's kind of difficult about this life is that you are constantly set apart," citing differences in security and social interactions compared with their life before Vance took up such a high-profile post. She noted that there's "all of these ways in which you're just sort of pulled out of everyday life and the pressure that I feel is how to reinsert myself in it at every possible turn and actually just be a millennial person living in the world as opposed to some sort of like figure on television." Her way of doing that, she says, is partaking in regular activities like not always getting her hair styled or leaving the house with a ton of makeup on, or "going out to the gym and coming out sweaty and walking down the street and getting coffee." "I try to do that every day, just have a normal life that is in public and ignore that people are watching it," she said. By doing these regular activities, she hopes it shows that "you can be in a position of some prominence in the public eye but still sort of be a part of this generation and do the same things that everyone else does." She echoed a similar sentiment with her wardrobe, noting that she tries not to always purchase a new outfit for certain events, but works to try and mix and match various items already in her closet. Second Lady Life Usha says she's undertaken a handful of "self-improvement projects" now that she's second lady, which include restarting German language lessons, reading a "backlog" of books, gym classes, and "personal projects that are fundamentally unrelated to anything in politics." She still spends time with her friends despite her busy schedule, noting that a few of them are going white water rafting, hiking, and visiting some breweries in the near future. While Usha and Vance's lives have drastically changed over the past six months, with her remarking that they miss road trips, and Vance specifically drives, they have shared many fond memories in the new role and have befriended many of the staff at their new residence in the Naval Observatory. The couple still tries to have dates sometimes, with Usha noting that being on a discrete date in Cincinnati, "that sense of being anonymous in public is honestly the best of all dates for us." In her political role, she is seeking to encourage young kids to read more and draw attention away from their phones and other technology, and she launched the Summer Reading Challenge, in which children read 12 books between June and September. They can then write or draw a reflection and submit it to the White House. She told McCain that while literacy is "going to be a major issue" for her, it's not the only one she is seeking to tackle. When asked about her political future and the possibility of becoming first lady soon, Usha replied, "Four years ago, I had absolutely no intention of leading any sort of life in politics," later adding, "I'm not plotting out next steps or really trying for anything after this." "In a dream world, eventually I'll be able to live in my home and kind of continue my career and all those sorts of things," she said, noting that right now she is "along for the ride and enjoying while I can."
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Usha Vance says she has no plans to abandon Hinduism
Second lady Usha Vance spoke candidly in a new interview about how she and Vice President J.D. Vance are raising their three children in a split faith home. Vance, 39, sat down with Meghan McCain for an episode of her 2Way show Citizen McCain, which marked the second lady's first extensive on-air interview since the Vances moved into the Naval Observatory in January. The two millennial women talked about raising young kids, her romance with J.D. and what Usha does for fun and how she views her role as second lady, now that the Yale-trained lawyer is in this unexpected position. McCain asked Vance how she's incorporating her Hindu faith with her husband's Catholicism, as the couple raises their three kids, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel. 'And we had to have a lot of real conversations about, how do you do that when I'm not Catholic and I'm not intending to convert or anything like that,' Vance added. She said what the couple decided to do was send their kids to Catholic school. 'And we have given them each the choice,' she said. So far eldest son Ewan has decided to be baptized Catholic and middle son Vivek will decide next. She said that the Vances are also 'make going to church a family experience.' 'The kids know that I'm not Catholic and they have plenty of access to Hindu tradition - from books that we give them to things that we show them to the visit recently to India and some of the religious elements of that visit,' Vance said. The Vance family visited India, including the Taj Mahal, in April, while the vice president also brought Usha and the kids along with him to a trip to Rome when he met with the late Pope Francis, who had gifts for the Vance children. The 39-year-old second lady said her kids get to learn about Hindu through spending time with her parents and her grandmother. 'My grandmother is a particularly devout Hindu,' she said. 'She, you know, she prays every day, she does the temple regularly, she'll do her own pujas, and so they access it that way,' Vance continued. Vance said they don't always celebrate the Hindu holidays at home, but the kids will call her family members. The second lady even teased an event the Vances could be hosting at their Naval Observatory home next year. When former President Joe Biden was serving as VP, he memorably had pool parties - and squirted reporters with water guns - at the Naval Observatory. Former Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a party marking the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop in her backyard in 2023.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Usha Vance says she has no plans to abandon Hinduism, explains how Vance children will choose their faith
Second lady Usha Vance spoke candidly in a new interview about how she and Vice President J.D. Vance are raising their three children in a split faith home. Vance sat down with Meghan McCain for an episode of her 2Way show Citizen McCain, which marked the second lady's first extensive on-air interview since the Vances moved into the Naval Observatory in January. The two millennial women talked about raising young kids, her romance with J.D. and what Usha does for fun and how she views her role as second lady, now that the Yale-trained lawyer is in this unexpected position. McCain asked Vance how she's incorporating her Hindu faith with her husband's Catholicism, as the couple raises their three kids, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel. 'Well, at the time when I met J.D., he wasn't a Catholic, he converted later, and when he converted, we had a lot of conversations about that,' Vance said. She noted how when someone converts to Catholicism they make commitments to the church - including raising their children in the Catholic faith - adding that the vice president's conversion 'was a really helpful thing to happen, because we were obligated to have those conversations.' 'And we had to have a lot of real conversations about, how do you do that when I'm not Catholic and I'm not intending to convert or anything like that,' Vance added. She said what the couple decided to do was send their kids to Catholic school. 'And we have given them each the choice,' she said. So far eldest son Ewan has decided to be baptized Catholic and middle son Vivek will decide next. She said that the Vances also 'make going to church a family experience.' 'The kids know that I'm not Catholic and they have plenty of access to Hindu tradition - from books that we give them to things that we show them to the visit recently to India and some of the religious elements of that visit,' Vance said. The 39-year-old second lady said her kids get to learn about Hindu through spending time with her parents and her grandmother. 'My grandmother is a particularly devout Hindu,' she said. 'She, you know, she prays every day, she does the temple regularly, she'll do her own pujas, and so they access it that way,' Vance continued. Vance said they don't always celebrate the Hindu holidays at home, but the kids will call her family members. The second lady even teased an event the Vances could be hosting at their Naval Observatory home next year. 'We're actually hoping to have a Holi party and we're looking forward to that next year,' she revealed. Vice presidents and their families have long used the Massachusetts Avenue compound for events. When former President Joe Biden was serving as VP, he memorably had pool parties - and squirted reporters with water guns - at the Naval Observatory. Former Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a party marking the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop in her backyard in 2023. Holi is a festive celebration marking the start of spring, where attendees typically throw colored powder at each other. Vance is the first member of a first or second family who practices Hindu, though Harris attended Hindu temples as a child, but attended a Baptist church as an adult. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also practices Hindu.
