JD Vance Faces Backlash After Saying He Hopes His Hindu Wife Will Convert to Christianity
A new controversy has erupted in American political circles after U.S. Vice President JD Vance made remarks about his wife Usha Vance’s Hindu background and his personal wish that she might one day embrace Christianity. The comments, made during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, have reignited public debate about interfaith relationships, religious identity, and the role of faith in politics. The situation was further amplified by a viral photograph from the same event, drawing intense social media scrutiny.
Vance added, “If she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.” His comments—intended to express his faith and hopes for his family—immediately sparked criticism from various quarters, with many accusing him of being insensitive toward his wife’s religion and the broader Hindu community.
Vance also revealed that their children attend a Christian school, and the couple agreed to raise them within the Christian tradition, while maintaining an open dialogue about faith.
She explained that when she met JD Vance at Yale University, he was not yet a Catholic. “At the time when I met JD, he wasn’t Catholic, and he converted later and when he converted, we had a lot of conversations about that because it was actually after we had our first child, maybe it was after Vivek was born too,” she recalled.
Usha described how the conversion brought new responsibilities: “When you convert to Catholicism it comes with several important obligations, like to raise your child in the faith and all that. We had to have a lot of real conversations about how do you do that, I’m not Catholic, and I’m not intending to convert or anything like that.”
Her comments revealed that the Vance family’s interfaith approach was built on respect, openness, and choice, rather than conflict—a message that contrasted with the online uproar following JD’s remarks.
Social media users quickly began debating the nature of the interaction. Some questioned whether the moment was appropriate for a public figure, while others dismissed it as an innocent gesture taken out of context. Despite rampant speculation, there has been no factual evidence of any impropriety.
Some online commentators even went as far as floating conspiracy theories about Vance’s political future, suggesting he might have a “better chance” in the 2028 U.S. presidential elections with someone like Erika Kirk instead of his wife Usha. Such remarks were widely criticized as disrespectful and baseless.
That began to change during his law school years at Yale University, when he started exploring religion more deeply. In a 2020 essay for The Lamp, a Catholic magazine, Vance described how reading Catholic philosophy and engaging with Dominican friars rekindled his spiritual curiosity.
He frequently met Father Henry Stephan at St. Gertrude Church in Cincinnati, where their discussions on theology, philosophy, and modern ethics profoundly shaped his beliefs. In the summer of 2019, Vance formally converted to Catholicism, being baptized and receiving his first communion at St. Gertrude’s Dominican chapel.
He chose Saint Augustine as his patron, explaining that City of God was “the best criticism of our modern age I’d ever read — a society oriented entirely towards consumption and pleasure, spurning duty and virtue.”
Vance once remarked, “I really liked that the Catholic Church was just really old,” expressing admiration for its historical continuity and deep intellectual tradition.
Instead, Vance represents a more intellectual, traditionalist Catholic approach, focusing on issues such as family values, moral duty, social stability, and economic justice — themes influenced by Catholic social teaching. Though Catholic converts make up only about 2% of American adults, according to Pew Research, they often bring renewed passion and depth to their religious engagement — qualities that have defined Vance’s political image.
The Pope’s translator presented Vance with symbolic gifts — chocolate eggs for his children, rosaries, and a Vatican tie — to which the Vice President responded, “Thank you. So beautiful.” As their meeting concluded, he told the pontiff, “I pray for you every day. God bless you.”
A day later, when the world learned of Pope Francis’s passing, Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”
Vance’s Remarks on Faith and Family
During his appearance at the event, Vice President Vance spoke candidly about his family’s interfaith dynamic and the religious balance within his marriage. Reflecting on their relationship, he said, “Now most Sundays Usha will come with me to church.” He continued, “As I’ve told her and I’ve said publicly, and I’ll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends: Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, I honestly do with that. Because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way.”Vance added, “If she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, so that doesn’t cause a problem for me.” His comments—intended to express his faith and hopes for his family—immediately sparked criticism from various quarters, with many accusing him of being insensitive toward his wife’s religion and the broader Hindu community.
Usha Vance’s Hindu Roots and Interfaith Marriage
The Vice President explained that Usha grew up “in a Hindu family, but not a particularly religious family.” He noted that when they met, both identified as “agnostic or atheist.” Over time, as he embraced Christianity, they developed what he described as “an understanding in their marriage that reflected mutual respect for their differences.”Vance also revealed that their children attend a Christian school, and the couple agreed to raise them within the Christian tradition, while maintaining an open dialogue about faith.
Usha Vance’s Perspective on Interfaith Parenting
A few months earlier, Usha Vance had shared her side of their family’s faith journey in a podcast with Meghan McCain on Citizen McCain. Offering an inside look at their household, she said, “So what we’ve ended up doing is we send our kids to Catholic school, and we have given them each the choice, right? They can choose whether they want to be baptised Catholic and then go through the whole step-by-step process with their classes in school.”She explained that when she met JD Vance at Yale University, he was not yet a Catholic. “At the time when I met JD, he wasn’t Catholic, and he converted later and when he converted, we had a lot of conversations about that because it was actually after we had our first child, maybe it was after Vivek was born too,” she recalled.
Usha described how the conversion brought new responsibilities: “When you convert to Catholicism it comes with several important obligations, like to raise your child in the faith and all that. We had to have a lot of real conversations about how do you do that, I’m not Catholic, and I’m not intending to convert or anything like that.”
Her comments revealed that the Vance family’s interfaith approach was built on respect, openness, and choice, rather than conflict—a message that contrasted with the online uproar following JD’s remarks.
The Viral Photograph and Social Media Speculation
Compounding the controversy, photographs from the same Turning Point USA event went viral online. The images showed Vance greeting Erika Kirk , the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in a seemingly close embrace. Erika wore a white T-shirt reading “Freedom” with black leather pants, while Vance appeared in a blue suit.Social media users quickly began debating the nature of the interaction. Some questioned whether the moment was appropriate for a public figure, while others dismissed it as an innocent gesture taken out of context. Despite rampant speculation, there has been no factual evidence of any impropriety.
Some online commentators even went as far as floating conspiracy theories about Vance’s political future, suggesting he might have a “better chance” in the 2028 U.S. presidential elections with someone like Erika Kirk instead of his wife Usha. Such remarks were widely criticized as disrespectful and baseless.
JD Vance’s Journey from Atheism to Catholicism
JD Vance’s relationship with faith has been complex and transformative. Raised in a loosely evangelical family in Middletown, Ohio, he described his early exposure to religion as inconsistent. In his bestselling memoir Hillbilly Elegy, he wrote about drifting away from faith during his youth and embracing atheism as a young adult.That began to change during his law school years at Yale University, when he started exploring religion more deeply. In a 2020 essay for The Lamp, a Catholic magazine, Vance described how reading Catholic philosophy and engaging with Dominican friars rekindled his spiritual curiosity.
He frequently met Father Henry Stephan at St. Gertrude Church in Cincinnati, where their discussions on theology, philosophy, and modern ethics profoundly shaped his beliefs. In the summer of 2019, Vance formally converted to Catholicism, being baptized and receiving his first communion at St. Gertrude’s Dominican chapel.
He chose Saint Augustine as his patron, explaining that City of God was “the best criticism of our modern age I’d ever read — a society oriented entirely towards consumption and pleasure, spurning duty and virtue.”
Vance once remarked, “I really liked that the Catholic Church was just really old,” expressing admiration for its historical continuity and deep intellectual tradition.
Catholicism and Political Identity
Vance’s faith conversion coincided with his growing prominence in Republican politics. His Catholic worldview set him apart from earlier Republican leaders like Mike Pence, whose political identity was rooted in evangelical Protestantism.Instead, Vance represents a more intellectual, traditionalist Catholic approach, focusing on issues such as family values, moral duty, social stability, and economic justice — themes influenced by Catholic social teaching. Though Catholic converts make up only about 2% of American adults, according to Pew Research, they often bring renewed passion and depth to their religious engagement — qualities that have defined Vance’s political image.
Meeting Pope Francis — A Moment of Faith and History
In April 2025, Vance’s Catholic identity took center stage when he visited the Vatican and met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, just one day before the pontiff’s death. Video footage showed Vance greeting the ailing Pope, saying, “Hello… So good to see you. I know you’ve not been feeling great, but it’s good to see you in better health.”The Pope’s translator presented Vance with symbolic gifts — chocolate eggs for his children, rosaries, and a Vatican tie — to which the Vice President responded, “Thank you. So beautiful.” As their meeting concluded, he told the pontiff, “I pray for you every day. God bless you.”
A day later, when the world learned of Pope Francis’s passing, Vance posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill.”
Next Story