Is JD Vance a vegetarian?

Donald Trump officially has a 2024 running mate in JD Vance, a textbook Republican, and a nice safe bet for Dumpster Don’s VP.

Once a vocal Trump opponent, Vance has since flipped entirely to adamant support of the disgraced former president, waxing poetic about his plans for the future and loyally serving as a top-tier yes-man. He fits almost perfectly into the MAGA mold, thanks to his status as a white man with just enough working class in him to close the gap between billionaire Trump and his followers. However, he deviates from the white-washed dreams of the far-right in one way — his wife.

Vance married Usha Chilukuri — now Usha Vance — a child of Indian immigrants, in 2014, and the pair have three children together. His marriage to Usha separates Vance from the mindset of many immigrant-hating MAGAs, as do the changes he made to better fit into her lifestyle and traditions.

Is JD Vance a vegetarian?

During the July 2024 Republican National Convention, Vance’s wife Usha was asked to take the stage and discuss her husband, one of America’s two picks for vice president. She did so with clear compassion and love, discussing how the pair met and what she admires most about her husband, which includes his willingness to adapt to their differences.

Describing her husband as “a meat and potato kind of guy,” Usha praised him for adapting to her “vegetarian diet” and learning “to cook Indian food from my mother.” It was a simple, sweet example of Vance’s flexibility in his marriage, but it instantly sparked questions about whether the red-blooded American adhered to a vegetarian diet.

It’s a strange thing to care about, particularly since it doesn’t affect the American public even one bit, but it’s likely due to the optics Vance is currently grappling with. MAGA is already leery of pretty much every immigrant out there, so his decision to marry one was already a tough pill to swallow. Add to that Usha’s assertion that Vance adapted to an immigrant’s dietary restrictions, and — to the weak-minded and gooey-spined — it seems like he is letting his wife make all the decisions for him.

Based on the way Usha presented the information, however, it doesn’t even sound like Vance switched to a vegetarian diet. It seems more like he’s accepting of her vegetarian restrictions, and supports her choice to be vegetarian despite his meat-loving tendencies. It’s entirely possible that he lives a mostly vegetarian lifestyle, particularly when at home with his family, but still consumes meat when he wants to.

Either that or Vance really did adopt a vegetarian diet following his wedding, as many are assuming after Usha’s speech. If that is the case, it could not possibly matter less to the American public. Sure, some people may see it as Vance trading in his “manhood” for his wife’s traditions, but in reality, it actually makes him look better to most of us. It shows that he truly holds a deep respect for his wife and her beliefs and dietary needs, and also his willingness to sacrifice his own wants in favor of hers.