Usha Vance, US Second Lady and wife of Vice President JD Vance, sent the internet into overdrive when she was spotted without her wedding ring as she joined US First Lady Melania Trump on a visit to Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina. Social media zoomed in on photos taken at the event, and many questioned why her ring was missing while standing alongside Melania during the interactions with military families, children, and service members.
Amid swirling rumors about possible trouble in her marriage, Usha Vance’s spokesperson emphatically denied any suggestion of a rift with JD Vance. The representative explained that the Second Lady is a mom of three young children who often does household chores like dishes and kids’ baths, and sometimes just forgets to wear a wedding ring, insisting that nothing more needs to be read into the viral photos.
Several Democrat-aligned influencers and commentators quickly jumped on the images, some suggesting the missing ring looked symbolic, while others framed it as a sign that she was only present for a “photo op.” In contrast, many users defended Usha Vance under the spokesperson’s explanation, sharing their own experiences of rarely wearing wedding rings at home or forgetting to put them back on despite being in long, stable marriages.
The back-and-forth over the ring comes as JD Vance has publicly spoken about wanting Usha, who is Hindu, to eventually convert to Christianity-a development that drew fresh attention to their personal life and beliefs. Separate chatter also cropped up following the sight of Erika Kirk, widow of late influencer Charlie Kirk, sharing a hug with JD Vance at an event; unfounded social media claims about their “chemistry” fuelled more online gossip.
