Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday defended comments he made earlier in the week about his wife’s Hindu faith and his hope that she might one day embrace Christianity, saying that open discussion of religion within a marriage is a matter of honesty, not intolerance.
Speaking Wednesday at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Vance had told students that “deep down, [he hopes] the second lady is somehow moved by the church” and “will convert to Christianity because I believe in the Christian gospel.” The remarks sparked online criticism from some who accused the vice president of disparaging his wife’s faith.
“It’s weird to throw your wife’s religion under the bus, in public, for a moment’s acceptance by groypers,” one social media user wrote in a now-deleted post on X.
Vance responded directly to the criticism, standing by his statements and describing them as both sincere and respectful. “My wife—as I said at the TPUSA—is the most amazing blessing I have in my life,” he wrote Friday on X. “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.”
He continued, “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.”
Usha Vance, a lawyer and practicing Hindu, has been a central figure in the vice president’s personal story. The couple, who have three young children, have spoken openly about balancing two faith traditions at home. Their two eldest children attend a Christian school, and the family regularly attends church while also observing Hindu traditions.
Vance’s comments came in the context of a broader discussion on faith, family, and cultural values at the conservative youth event. Turning Point USA, which promotes Christian ideals and traditional family structures, has been a natural platform for the vice president’s message about restoring faith and moral clarity in public life.
“Yes, Christians have beliefs,” Vance wrote in his Friday post. “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’s response underscored his view that faith should not be confined to private life and that Americans should be free to express religious convictions without apology. His defense also reflected a broader theme of his public persona—one centered on family, cultural rootedness, and the moral dimensions of leadership.
By addressing the criticism head-on, Vance sought to clarify that his remarks were not about coercion but about conviction. In a political climate where expressions of faith are often met with skepticism, his insistence on the normalcy of sharing belief stood out as a reaffirmation of the central role religion continues to play in American life.
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