JD & Usha Vance's Most Painfully Awkward Moments In 2025 (So Far)

Divorce rumors have plagued JD Vance and Usha Vance since the beginning of this tenure as the vice president of the United States. The couple have often seemed at odds, or just outright awkward while attempting to put on a united public front. There have been numerous cringe-worthy moments between the Vances, as they have seemingly struggled to balance their marriage with being under intense public scrutiny.

Even when the second couple have been able to get out and enjoy an evening together, there have been embarrassing moments. In June 2025, they went to the opening of "Les Misérables" at the Kennedy Center, and JD used the opportunity to bust out a killer joke. "About to see Les Miserables with POTUS at the Kennedy Center," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time. "Me to Usha: so what's this about? A barber who kills people?" he added. "Usha; [hysterical laughter]," JD wrote, while simultaneously taking liberties with his wife's response, and earning groans from commenters online.

All jokes aside, the Vances had frequently seemed mismatched even during more somber moments. Following a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis in August 2025, JD and Usha visited the site to pay their respects. They looked dressed for separate occasions as the vice president sported a dark blue suit, while Usha opted for a black ensemble that included a long leather skirt. Later in September, their detachment was noticeable as the Vances hosted the Crown Prince of Jordan and his wife. A photo of the foursome together posted to X showed the Jordanian couple close together, as JD stood at a fair distance from his wife. These interactions were only slightly uncomfortable compared to some of the other painfully awkward moments JD and Usha had in 2025.

JD Vance and Usha Vance had difficulty choosing the specific mood they were going for when they attended Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in St. Peter's Square in May 2025. At first glance, it appeared to be a somber occasion for the pair, as Usha sported a black ensemble and completed the look with a black veil. The couple was seen in the pews showing reverence during the mass, but they also didn't want to waste a good photo op. Mid-service, they shared a kiss on the lips that had people scratching their heads. Snaps of the pew peck were shared online, and some people thought it was the wrong setting to exhibit PDA. The timing, while obviously peculiar, wasn't even the most cringy part of the kiss.

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

NickiSwift spoke to celebrity love coach Nicole Moore, who took a look at the Vances' body language as they smooched, and she sensed it was devoid of passion. "It appears as if this particular kiss may have been for the cameras and their relationship is in a neutral zone," Moore told us. Not only did the expert believe JD and Usha's kiss may have been fake, but she thought it showed where the couple's relationship stood. "This kiss gives friendly married but roommates vibes rather than passionate lovers vibes," Moore added.

That wasn't the only time the Vances shared an uncomfortable kiss for the cameras.

The awkward interactions between JD Vance and Usha Vance had started piling up almost the moment he went into office. At Donald Trump's inauguration in January 2025, the president shared a dance with Melania Trump on stage for the crowd, and after a few minutes, he invited the second couple to join them. While the Trumps had their hips touching and looked at ease while slow dancing (a rarity!), the Vances gave off middle school vibes as they maintained a safe distance from each other. It's possible there was friction between JD and Usha before they took the stage, as the Veep had his hand gingerly placed on the small of his wife's back as if he was afraid to make too much contact. At one point during the short dance, they appeared to share a sweet moment as Usha whispered something into her husband's ear and the pair exchanged a kiss. Once again, the PDA came off as performative instead of genuine.

Celebrity love coach Nicole Moore analyzed the footage of JD and Usha's painful inauguration dance and thought their body language seemed off. "The couple is dancing stiffly with a lot of space in between their bodies and chests, which may indicate a desire to keep distance between them," Moore told NickiSwift. Judging by their body language, the love coach also believed that the quick kiss was not because they were overrun with emotion. "[I]t's a short, perfunctory kiss, almost as if they're kissing because they have to rather than because they want to," Moore added.

Candid photos taken later in the year showed Usha's true feelings about her time as second lady.

Even attending sporting events lead to painful moments between JD Vance and Usha Vance. In June 2025, the second couple returned to JD's home state of Ohio as they went to a FIFA Club World Cup match at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati along with their kids. Photographers captured the couple seated in a suite taking in the action, and a few of the snaps exposed Usha's gloomy behavior. On the surface, the afternoon should have been a laid-back affair, as SLOTUS was seen drinking champagne during the match, but she clearly wasn't in a celebratory mood. Perhaps Usha was unnerved by the multiple snipers who were perched on the roof to offer the Vances enhanced protection at the event, as she seemed to have difficulty forgetting her troubles. In fact, Usha appeared downright despondent as one pic caught her staring at the ground with a vacant look on her face, all while holding a flute of champagne. JD seemed oblivious to his wife's disconnect as he was seen speaking to a man seated next to him.

Another photo painted an even darker picture of the couple's marriage as Usha looked to be having an existential crisis. As the soccer match went on, and JD had one of their children on his lap, Usha placed her chin in her hands and looked in deep thought as she gazed at the floor.

Maybe Usha looked so displeased because she kept replaying her husband's befuddling behavior on their anniversary earlier that month.

June 14, 2025 was a major day of celebration for JD Vance, Usha Vance, and the Trump administration. The Vances were on hand at the 250th birthday of the U.S. Military, which also happened to be Donald Trump's birthday. There was a large parade, and JD addressed the crowd afterwards. "June the 14th is, of course, the birthday of the Army. It is, of course, the birthday of the president of the United States, and happy birthday, Mr. President," the vice president said. Coincidentally, it also happened to be the second couple's wedding anniversary, and JD pulled a bonehead move during his speech as he shoe-horned in a shoutout to Usha. "I would get into trouble if I didn't mention that it's also my wedding anniversary," he added, in a not-so-romantic gesture that rang more like an afterthought than a genuine romantic act. The quick mention gave the vibes of stopping off at the grocery store to grab flowers because you forgot the occasion.

Awkwardly mentioning their anniversary, while spending the day celebrating Trump and the military, didn't seem to go unnoticed by Usha, who appeared to return the favor. JD's birthday came a couple of months later on August 2, and SLOTUS seemingly followed suit of her husband by giving the least effort possible. Even though the White House posted about the VP's birthday on Instagram, Usha snubbed her husband and neglected to make any social media posts celebrating his big day.

That came not long after the couple reportedly had a tense moment at a restaurant. 

Usha Vance has spoken about how life changed immediately once JD Vance was tapped to be Donald Trump's presidential running mate. According to the second lady, it was a whirlwind experience for the Vances just an hour before JD was officially announced as a possible future vice president. "We had to suddenly move hotel rooms, we suddenly had a Secret Service detail, and there was really no opportunity for reflection or anything like that," Usha recalled appearing on the "Citizen McCain" podcast in June 2025. Of course, that lifestyle change of constantly being flanked by the Secret Service continued once JD was in office.

A month after SLOTUS made that podcast appearance, the stress of being in the spotlight seemingly showed cracks in the couple's marriage, as JD and Usha apparently had a public fight while out for dinner. Influencer Suzanne Lambert posted a video to Instagram in July 2025 where she shared text messages from an anonymous friend who claimed to have been at a restaurant the Vances had dined at. According to the insider, the couple had trouble getting along with the staff, and one another. Instead of enjoying the evening together, Usha used the opportunity to air her frustration with the lack of quality time the pair got to spend together. "THIS is what our life should actually be like," Usha said. JD didn't even bother to protest. "I know, I'm sorry," was his response, per the restaurant server.