JD Vance's Wife Usha Has Been MIA From His Campaign (& We're Getting Melania Trump Deja Vu)

Throughout the 2024 presidential race, former first lady Melania Trump has been notably absent, only showing her face at a handful of events and skipping out on some major campaign moments. Now, it seems that JD Vance's wife Usha Vance may be taking Melania's lead. From the public's perspective, Donald Trump doesn't have the unconditional support from his wife that many presidential hopefuls have had in the past. And, seeing his running mate in the same boat is raising a few eyebrows.

When Donald announced that JD would be his running mate, Usha resigned from the law firm where she worked to focus on the three young children she and her husband share. Many folks may have taken this to mean that she would be directing her attention to the Trump campaign. However, we haven't seen as much of her as we might have expected. This contrasts with JD's opponent Tim Walz, whose wife Gwen Walz has been much more engaged with the Kamala Harris campaign — speaking out and holding her own fundraisers. 

When asked about Usha's absence from the public eye, JD's spokesperson Taylor Van Kirk told The Daily Beast, "Usha has appeared at multiple events on the campaign trail with her husband and is literally with him on the trail today. What a silly story." Regardless of whether she is on the campaign trail or not, the public isn't seeing much of Usha, and it's piquing folks' interest.

Despite reportedly being by JD Vance's side on the campaign trail and attending multiple campaign events, like Melania Trump, Usha Vance mostly keeps quiet, rarely speaking out or being spotted at these events. While the Donald Trump campaign may scoff at this concern, the public has taken notice. 

On X, formerly known as Twitter, there are quite a few questions about Usha's whereabouts and many comparisons between her absence and Melania's. "Where is @MELANIATRUMP and why isn't she on the campaign trail?" an X user asked, adding, "Where is Usha Vance? Why isn't she campaigning too? Both MAGA candidates['] wives are MIA." "Where is Usha Vance?" asked another. One X user noted, "I see Gwen Walz out in these streets. Where is Usha Vance?" A self-proclaimed "huge Trump supporter" asked "Where has #UshaVance been? I'm concerned because I see everybody else's partner/spouse out on the campaign trail or talking, but I never see Usha. I would love to hear from her, seeing what her husband is saying about women, and abortion laws." 

Evidently, regardless of which candidate they're voting for, folks are wondering where Usha is. In the past, candidates' families and spouses have been an important part of political campaigns since it's an easy way to make candidates seem relatable and show who they really are. However, this doesn't seem to be a major concern for the Trump campaign, which judging by the response on the internet, may be to their detriment.