Second Lady Usha Vance was photographed without her wedding ring during an official visit to Camp Lejeune military base in Richlands, North Carolina, on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old accompanied First Lady Melania Trump as part of an engagement designed to uplift troops ahead of Thanksgiving.
Photos from the visit show Vance disembarking from a plane with her left hand clearly visible and no wedding band.
Additional images from Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River confirmed that the ring remained off throughout the visit.
Her husband, Vice President J.D. Vance, 41, was photographed wearing his wedding band at a separate speaking event in Washington on Thursday.
This is not the first time Vance has been seen without her ring. Photographs from Nov. 10, during a joint visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with her husband, also show her ringless.
By contrast, she was last photographed wearing the band on Nov. 8 at the Marine Ball, as the Daily Mail reported.
The absence of the ring has prompted speculation about the couple’s marriage. The Vances have faced public attention over a religious divide, with JD Vance, a devout Roman Catholic, revealing that he has encouraged his wife to convert from Hinduism.
He publicly discussed this during a Turning Point USA event, stating that while Usha did not grow up Christian, he hopes she might eventually share his faith, though he emphasized that free will remains a factor.
Social media users responded quickly to images of Vance without her ring. Some speculated that she might be sending a subtle message about her feelings toward her husband, referencing prior events, including the VP hugging right-wing activist Erika Kirk at a memorial for her late husband, Charlie Kirk.
Lip readers noted that during the hug, Kirk appeared uncomfortable and whispered, “I can’t do this, I don’t want to do it,” while Vance told her, “I’m proud of you.”
Others defended the Second Lady, noting that not wearing a ring is common, especially when handling daily responsibilities like caring for children.
A spokesperson for Vance told the Daily Mail that she is “a mother of three young children who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes.”
During the Camp Lejeune visit, the Second Lady and First Lady also toured Lejeune High School. They visited a nearby elementary school to participate in arts-and-crafts activities with students. The engagement marked the first joint appearance of Usha Vance and Melania Trump.
Usha Vance and JD Vance have been married since 2014 and share three children.
While the couple continues to fulfill public duties together, questions about the visibility of her wedding band and their differing religious backgrounds have drawn media and public attention.
The Vice President converted to Catholicism in 2019, while the Second Lady was raised in a non-religious Hindu household.
Vance has publicly stated that although he hopes his wife might embrace his faith, her personal choice does not create conflict in their marriage.
