Second Lady Usha Vance has revealed that the best advice she offered her husband, Vice President JD Vance, was to take a break from social media. Speaking in an interview on Fox News, Usha Vance explained that the constant influx of information can be overwhelming, particularly for those in the center of American politics. She noted that JD Vance took a break during Lent, which allowed him to consume information in a less constant manner, absorbing it in "bursts" or more aggregated forms.
Usha Vance believes this temporary step away from social media provided her husband with a valuable shift in perspective. "I personally think it helped him have some perspective about various things that he was thinking about," she said.
In early 2025, Vice President Vance was known for his active presence on platforms like X, where he frequently posted, engaged in discussions, and commented on a wide range of topics from politics to foreign policy and culture. Unlike many public figures, Vance was often noted for writing his own posts, contributing to a combative and direct communication style that allowed him to engage directly with supporters and critics.
In April 2025, Vance acknowledged spending less time on X than he had previously, suggesting an awareness of his social media usage habits. His decision to step away during Lent further highlighted this. Vance told NBC News that removing the app from his phone increased his productivity by reducing automatic scrolling during spare moments, allowing him more time for reading.
However, Vance also noted the trade-offs, expressing that he missed the "direct interaction" the platform offered. He described how Secret Service protection could create a bubble, insulating him from unfiltered public reactions. Removing the app allowed him to avoid automatically reaching for it during brief periods of downtime.
Usha Vance also addressed speculation about her husband's political future, including the possibility of a presidential run in 2028. While not ruling it out, she emphasized that the family is currently focused on the upcoming midterms and is not making concrete plans for a White House bid. She expressed an "open mind and open heart" regarding future possibilities, acknowledging that most observers anticipate a potential candidacy after the 2026 midterms.
During the interview, Usha Vance also responded to comments made by Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed regarding her heritage and JD Vance's late grandfather. El-Sayed had posted a question interpreted by many as alluding to whether JD Vance's grandfather would have accepted his wife due to her Indian heritage. Usha Vance stated, "I have to admit, I kind of laughed." She noted that while she never met his grandparents, she knows the family they raised, describing them as "incredibly loving." She added, "And so I have to think that if they raised children like that, they would have been loving as well," expressing a wish to have met them.
These remarks echo sentiments JD Vance expressed in his 2016 memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," where he described it as a significant regret that his grandparents never had the opportunity to meet Usha.