A split-second remark by United States Vice President JD Vance on his wife Usha's faith and his expression hoping one day he sees her embrace Christianity has sparked massive backlash online.
Usha Vance, a lawyer, married JD Vance in 2014. She is the first Asian American and first Hindu American second lady.
Vance made the remarks during a Q&A session at the 'Turning Point USA' event in Mississippi earlier this week. He was responding to a question by a woman, believed to be a student of South Asian descent, who asked him if he wished his wife would "come to Christ."
The woman also criticised the Donald Trump-led administration's immigration policy, saying she did not agree with what Vance had said during the event.
A clip of the woman's question went viral on social media, with some users lauding her for confronting Vance. However, users were also quick to point out Vance's views on his wife's faith.
In response to the woman's question, Vance said that Usha came from a Hindu, "but not a particularly religious family in either direction." "In fact when I met my wife, we were both.. I would consider myself an agnostic or an atheist and that's what I think she would have considered herself as well," he said.
Vance further said that everybody "has to come to their own arrangement". "The way that we've come to our arrangement is she's my best friend we talk to each other about this stuff," he said.
He added that the couple were raising their children Christian, and said that his two children go to a Christian school. "Our two oldest kids who go to school they go to a Christian school. Our 8-year-old had his first communion about a year ago. That's how we've come to our arrangement. But I think everybody has to have their own communication when you're in a marriage," Vance said.
The US Vice President said that his wife Usha accompanies him to the church on most Sundays. "...Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church...Yeah, I honestly do wish that. Because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it that way," he said.
However, Vance added that if that does not happen, "then God says everybody has free will. So that doesn't cause a problem for me."
The remarks, specifically Vance's "hope" that his wife Usha "comes to see" the same way as him regarding faith, sparked outrage among users on social media platforms even as the clip went viral.
"Why does US Vice President JD Vance want his wife Usha Vance to convert into Christianity? Isn't it a clear case of intimidation? In my opinion, Usha must stand strong and never bow down to such outrageous demand," a user said. Others said Vance had tried to "score political points" by making the statement.
Meanwhile, another user pointed out to other pressing issues that needed to be addressed instead. "New York declares emergency to fight hunger. $65 million in food aid. But JD Vance is busy wondering if Usha will embrace Christianity. When faith becomes the headline, hunger becomes a footnote," the user said.
Responding to a comment on X about his remarks which has since been deleted, Vance said that the question was regarding his interfaith marriage. He said that he did not avoid the question owing to him being as public figure.
While clarifying that Usha has "no plans to convert", Vance said he considers his wife to be the "most amazing blessing I have in my life." "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," Vance said.
However, he said that he would continue to "love and support" his wife and "talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she's my wife."
He further said that the post he was responding to "wreaks 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," he added.
In remarks made last year, Usha said that she had first met JD Vance at the Yale Law school as friends, and credited him for being open and curious, including adapting to her vegetarian diet and learning how to cook Indian food for her mother.
"My background is very different from JD's. I grew up in San Diego in a middle-class community with two loving parents, both immigrants from India, and a wonderful sister. That JD and I could meet at all, let alone fall in love and marry, is a testament to this great country," Usha said during the Republican convention in Milwaukee in the lead of the presidential election campaign.
"When JD met me, he approached our differences with curiosity and enthusiasm. He wanted to know everything about me, where I came from, what my life had been like," she said.
In a New York Times interview in October, 2024, Vance spoke about his conversion to Catholicism and the guilt he feels over its impact on his wife.
"I feel terrible for my wife because we go to church almost every Sunday unless we're on the road," he said. He expressed concern over how the couple's new routine had shifted more responsibility onto her, especially with their children during Mass.
Vance's spiritual journey began between 2017 and 2019 amid his professional success and parenthood. "I really want to be a good husband. I really want to be a good father. I really want to be a good member of the community," he said during the NYT interview.