Who was JD Vance’s unofficial advisor during his visit to India? You would be surprised to know
American Vice President JD Vance recently concluded a four-day official visit to India from April 21-24, 2025. On the trip, he was accompanied by his Indian-origin wife, Usha Chilikuri Vance and their three children. As per reports, he was accompanied by at least five senior US officials including representatives from the Pentagon and the State Department.
JD Vance’s Indian trip itinerary
Image credits: Getty Images
After landing at the Air Force Station in Palam on Monday, April 21st, the Vance family visited the Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple. Later in the day, they flew to Jaipur where they toured the Amer Fort on April 22nd along with other popular tourist spots such as Jantar Mantar. On April 23rd, JD Vance along with his family travelled to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal and they departed back to the US on April 24th. Vance’s visit to India was mainly aimed at bilateral talks on economic, trade and geopolitical ties hoping to increase the trade between the nations to $500 billion by 2030.
Who was JD Vance’s trusted advisor during the India visit?
Image credits: Getty Images
While JD Vance’s visit to India may have been targeting the trade relations between the countries, all eyes were specifically on his relationship with his Indian-origin American wife, Usha Chilikuri Vance. The two painted quite a perfect picture of a marital couple in bliss, considering the fact that they had been dating since college.
However, what really caught the eyes of many and made them light up was the way Usha was her husband’s unofficial advisor on the trip. Vance completely relied on his wife for socio-cultural cues such as the pronunciation of certain Indian terms during a press conference where he was addressing the media.
Yes, during his speech in Jaipur, where he was talking about his visit to the Akshardham Temple, he turned to his wife, second lady Usha Vance seated in the front row and asked her, “Did I pronounce that right, honey? I did OK?”
It was apparent throughout the visit that Usha was her husband’s sounding board and guiding light when it came to questions of policy and politics. “She’s a bit of a celebrity, it turns out, in India. I think more so than her husband,” said Vance during his speech.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, people close to the couple state that Usha is JD’s most trusted adviser and is committed to his political future which could lead to her having her own in the White House. The couple is known to frequently ask for each other’s opinions and Usha is the one to give Vance feedback on his speeches before he delivers them. “JD really listens to Usha,” said Charlie Kirk, a friend of Vance, to WSJ.
When asked if she was an advisor to her husband during her first-ever interview after becoming the second lady of America, Usha said, “I don’t know that he’s asking me for advice so much as it can be a very lonely, lonely world not to share with someone.” Her comment was considered to be more or less an approval of the fact that her husband ensured everything went through her.
