JD And Usha Vance's Awkward PDA At Pope's Inaugural Mass Has Us Hiding In The Pews

The new pope might not be JD Vance's biggest fan, but aside from a few awkward moments, the vice president seemed pretty pleased to be present for the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, whose real name is Robert Prevost. JD was accompanied by his wife, Usha Vance, whose past efforts to smother divorce gossip weren't quite as obvious as her oddly timed PDA with her husband at the Vatican.

During the inauguration, the Vances were photographed sharing a kiss. Some critics felt it was the wrong time for such an amorous display, with one X user opining, "Inappropriate. But I expect nothing more from this Kakistocracy." It also looked like JD had his eyes open as he leaned in for the lip lock, which can make the intimate act seem more creepy than cute. According to NeuroLaunch, some people don't close their eyes when kissing because they might be feeling a bit insecure about the way they look or because they want to feel in command. Because Usha was wearing sunglasses, it's unclear if she also had her eyes open, allowing her to admire JD's rumored eyeliner.

This is so sweet. US VP JD Vance seen kissing his wife SLOTUS Usha at Holy Mass for Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's square in The Vatican. pic.twitter.com/W56usjVhw7

— Liana ❤️ 🇺🇸 (@lianan) May 18, 2025

If JD had his gaze fixed on Usha's face because his top concern was how he looked, it makes sense; he knew there were cameras present everywhere. The kiss could have even been a calculated move to dispel rumors that his marriage is on the rocks. During the Vances' trip to India in late April, Usha's tense behavior didn't exactly diminish the speculation about the state of their union, and maybe a forced kiss would have done the trick — if not for Usha's reaction to seeing Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

JD Vance's presence at the pope's inauguration wasn't just awkward because Pope Leo XIV was once critical of the veep's stance on immigration on his since-deleted X account. As JD celebrated the Catholic Church being led by an American pope for the first time, the Catholic politician's joy was probably also dimmed somewhat by the presence of some of his foes. Among them was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. JD was criticized by his own cousin for the dressing-down he gave Zelenskyy during a tense Oval Office discussion about Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February. During a BBC interview, Nate Vance — a Republican — blasted JD for "belittling a foreign leader" inside the White House. However, Zelenskyy approached JD at the Vatican, and the two men shook hands.

🚨BREAKING: U.S Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha are greeted by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky as they arrive to attend a Holy Mass pic.twitter.com/1fsrLkwCrF

— Charlie ward (@Drcharli_ward) May 18, 2025

JD could only muster up a tight smile for Zelenskyy, but when the well-respected world leader turned his attention to Usha Vance, she was positively beaming. She flashed her pearly whites at Zelenskyy, and a few moments after their warm exchange, she was still smiling and toying with her black veil, or mantilla, like a smitten schoolgirl. So, could we have another Melania Trump and Justin Trudeau situation here? For the sake of diplomatic relations between America and Ukraine, hopefully JD didn't notice that Usha appeared a lot more into shaking hands with Zelenskyy than kissing him.