Vice President J.D. Vance activated the outrage mob by saying that he hopes his wife, Usha, will convert to Catholicism, the New York Times reported. The vice president was asked about the possibility during a Turning Point USA appearance at the University of Mississippi on Wednesday, and his answer sent people across the political spectrum into a tizzy.
Wednesday's event was held in honor of the memory of Turning Point USA's late founder, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated nearly two months ago. During a question-and-answer portion of the event, Vance was asked about his interfaith marriage and whether he hoped his wife would join him.
The vice president is himself a convert, having been raised in a culturally evangelical household. Vance is outspoken about his deep faith, and it seems he wishes for his wife, who is a Hindu of Indian descent, to have the same experience.
Vance was forthcoming that he hopes "that she is somehow moved by the same thing I was moved by in the church," the vice president reframed the questioner's point before agreeing. "Yeah, I honestly do wish that because I believe in the Christian Gospel, and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way," Vance told the audience.
Because the left is overly scrupulous about such things, many are apoplectic about his instinct to want to impose his will on his wife. As the Times noted, "some Indians and Indian Americans across the political spectrum who said that Mr. Vance was not respecting his wife’s religious decisions" by wishing for her to come to the faith he loves.
"Some also said his remarks suggested that Hinduism was inferior at a time when aggressive immigration enforcement has left many South Asian Americans and people of non-Christian faiths feeling uncertain and afraid of their place in American society. The backlash reflected worries by some in the South Asian community over the Trump administration’s immigration policies and its embrace of conservative Christian groups," the Times went on.
While outsiders worry about their marriage and Usha Vance's autonomy, the vice president's wife is unfazed by such sentiment from her husband. "The kids know that I’m not Catholic, and they have plenty of access to the Hindu tradition from books that we give them, to things that we show them, to the visit recently to India and some of the religious elements of that visit," Usha Vance said in an interview with Meghan McCain in June.
"So it is a part of their lives and they know many practicing Hindus as a part of their lives in their own family," the second lady added. The Vances' children attend Catholic school, and Usha Vance often attends Mass with her family. Still, this isn't good enough for the left because there is allegedly a rise in anti-Asian sentiments with the success of Zohran Mamdani's mayoral candidacy in New York City and the controversy of H-1B visas.
Regardless of how this remark is being spun, the truth is that Catholics in particular believe that a person must be baptized to get to heaven, and it makes sense for J.D. Vance to want what is best for his wife. J.D. Vance said as much in a social media post Friday.
Amidst the controversy, J.D. Vance took to X, formerly Twitter, on Friday to dispel rumors and rebut accusations against him, including one that has since been deleted. "What a disgusting comment, and it's hardly been the only one along these lines. First off, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I'm a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn't going to avoid the question," the vice president wrote.
"Second, my Christian faith tells me the Gospel is true and is good for human beings. My wife--as I said at the TPUSA--is the most amazing blessing I have in my life," J.D. Vance explained. "She herself encouraged me to reengage with my faith many years ago. She is not a Christian and has no plans to convert, but like many people in an interfaith marriage--or any interfaith relationship--I hope she may one day see things as I do. Regardless, I'll continue to love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she's my wife," J.D. Vance went on.
"Third, posts like this wreak of anti-Christian bigotry. Yes, Christians have beliefs. And yes, those beliefs have many consequences, one of which is that we want to share them with other people. That is a completely normal thing, and anyone who's telling you otherwise has an agenda," the vice president charged.
What a disgusting comment, and it's hardly been the only one along these lines.
First off, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I'm a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn't going to avoid the question.
Second, my… https://t.co/JOzN7WAg3A
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 31, 2025
Christians are called to evangelize, and often the most pressing need comes from the people closest to them. Usha Vance is an intelligent woman and surely can handle a discussion about faith. Unfortunately, leftists don't give her enough credit.
