US Vice President JD Vance has said he hopes his wife, Usha Vance, who was raised in the Hindu faith, will one day be “moved” by the Catholic Church and embrace Christianity.
Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi on Wednesday, Vance said, “Most Sundays, Usha comes with me to church. As I’ve told her, and as I’ve said publicly, do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yes, I do, because I believe in the Christian gospel and hope my wife comes to see it the same way.”
Vance added that their differing beliefs do not cause tension in their marriage. “If she doesn’t, then God says everybody has free will, and that doesn’t cause a problem for me,” he said. “That’s something you work out with your friends, your family and the person you love.”
The Republican leader converted to Catholicism in 2019, having previously identified as an agnostic or atheist when he first met Usha. Their children are being raised as Christians and attend a Christian school.
Emphasising the importance of faith, Vance told the audience: “I make no apologies for thinking that Christian values are an important foundation of this country. Anybody who says their view is neutral likely has an agenda. I believe the Christian foundation of this country is a good thing.”
Vance’s remarks came amid ongoing debate in the United States about H-1B visas, largely used by Indian professionals, and a rise in anti-Indian sentiment online.
