Sen. J.D. Vance said he and his wife have faced attacks from white supremacists in the past as a result of her Indian heritage.
The Ohio senator married Usha Chilukuri Vance in 2014.
“Look, I love my wife so much. I love her because she’s who she is,” Vance said during an interview with Megyn Kelly on her podcast Friday. “Obviously, she’s not a white person, and we’ve been accused, attacked by some white supremacists over that. But I just, I love Usha.”
“She’s such a good mom,” Vance continued “She’s such a brilliant lawyer, and I’m so proud of her. But yes, her experience has given me some perspective on the way in which it’s really hard for working families in this country.”
The pair share three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.
Vance, a former Marine and memoirist of Appalachia, rocketed to national prominence last week when former President Trump selected him to be his 2024 vice presidential running mate.
The choice electrified his online MAGA base, but was received more cooly by those hoping he would tap someone with more experience.
Nick Fuentes, a prominent American white nationalist, publicly took issue with Usha Vance after the senator was selected.
“Who is this guy, really? Do we really expect that the guy who has an Indian wife and named their kid Vivek is going to support white identity?” Fuentes said after Vance was selected.
