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New Delhi: A storm of controversy emerged after US Vice President JD Vance, at an event, said that he wished his wife Usha would one day embrace Christianity like him. Vance also highlighted that they have decided to raise their children as Christians.
The VP’s remarks soon faced an online backlash, with people calling his statements hypocritical. Some users also pointed out that Usha, in her previous interviews, had already clarified that she had no intent to convert.
Speaking at a rally organised by Turning Point, founded by late-Charlie Kirk, the leader said that he would declare before “10,000 friends” that he wished his wife Usha would convert to Christianity.
“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,” he added.
Even as Vance clarified later in the interview that “God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me,” the statement did not halt the flow of criticism.
During a recent interview during her visit to India, Usha Vance spoke about her children’s growing interest in Indian culture and Hindu mythology. She explained how her children were drawn to Indian mythology and their curiosity about Hindu culture. “They’re always looking for references everywhere they go. We were really lucky to see a puppet show at the Prime Minister’s residence, and we’ve come across paintings and other art forms — they recognize the stories instantly.”
Usha also mentioned her interfaith marriage to JD Vance, which took place in Kentucky in 2014. She said it was significant for her to include traditional Hindu rites in the ceremony to honor her parents and ancestors from Andhra Pradesh.
JD Vance, who detailed aspects of his personal life in his bestselling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, credited Usha with playing a prominent role in his conversion to Catholicism, describing her as guiding him with “skill and precision.” Though not born Catholic, Vance was baptized into the Church in 2019.
Recently, Vance remarked that when he met Usha at Yale University, he was “agnostic or atheist,” adding that “that’s what I think she would have considered herself as well.”
His comment sparked debate, with several observers challenging his characterization. Indian-American commentator Deep Barot noted that Usha has often acknowledged being raised in the Hindu tradition, adding that “they even had a Vedic Hindu wedding, and one of their children’s names is Vivek.”
