Usha Vance urges respect for courts amid Trump legal battles

Usha Vance said the Supreme Court and federal judges should be treated with “respect” even as the Trump administration’s legal battles keep pushing the judiciary to the center of national politics.

Her comments came as hundreds of lawsuits have been filed during President Donald Trump’s second administration, with courts already blocking the White House in a number of cases. The clash has made judges and justices a recurring target in Washington, where sharp criticism of court rulings has become part of the broader fight over how much power the executive branch can assert.

Vance also said she had been surprised by Trump’s sense of humor, a more personal remark that landed alongside her broader defense of the courts. The contrast underscored the unusual position she occupies inside Trump’s orbit: close enough to see the president up close, but also trained to understand the legal stakes of his agenda.

Her remarks drew added attention because of her own ties to the Supreme Court of the United States. The White House says Vance clerked for Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and describes her as an experienced litigator whose work has included complex civil litigation and appeals. That background gives her a credibility few members of the vice president’s family can claim when speaking about the judiciary.

The White House also says Usha Vance and Vice President JD Vance are raising three children, Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel. In a political moment defined by repeated courtroom showdowns over Trump administration actions, her appeal for “respect” highlighted the tension between the administration’s legal confrontations and the institutional norms the courts still represent.