‘Because I believe in Christian gospel…’: US VP Vance hopes his Hindu wife Usha will soon convert to Christianity, faces criticism

US Vice President JD Vance said he hopes his wife, Usha, who is Hindu, will one day become a Christian like him but added that it wouldn’t be an issue if she chooses not to, as everyone has the freedom to decide their own faith. Speaking openly about religion and family on Wednesday, Vance told the audience, “Do I hope that one day she feels what I felt through the Church? Yes, I really do, because I believe in the Christian message. But if she doesn’t, that’s fine – God gives everyone free will.”

Vance made the remarks during a Turning Point rally in Oxford, Mississippi, after a woman of India(BHARAT)n origin asked him about his family’s interfaith relationship.

Vance also noted that such differences of faith are not limited to interfaith marriages but can also arise between people from different Christian denominations or between believers and atheists, emphasizing the need for understanding and respect.

“Everybody has to come to their own arrangement here,” he said. “The way that we’ve come to our arrangement is she’s my best friend. We talked to each other about this stuff. So, we decided to raise our kids Christian”.

He added, “The only advice I can give is you just got to talk to the person that God has put you with, and you’ve got to make those decisions as a family unit”.

Vance shared that when he first met his wife, Usha, at Yale University, he didn’t believe in God while  describing himself as “agnostic or atheist.” He added that Usha likely felt the same way at the time. “She grew up in a Hindu family, but not a very religious one,” Vance said.

Over time, Vance said he found his way back to Christianity, returning to the Protestant faith he was raised in. However, three years ago, he converted to Catholicism, a branch of Christianity less common among supporters of President Doland Trump, and now follows the Catholic Church closely.

Some Christian fundamentalists have questioned both his Catholic faith and his marriage to a Hindu, but Vance said their family is united. He shared that Usha attends church with him and their children every Sunday and is “closer to the priests who baptized me than maybe I am.”

“They talk about religious things,” he said, describing their mutual respect for each other’s beliefs.

On the topic of religious freedom, Vance said one of Christianity’s most important values is respect for free will. He added that true Christianity supports freedom of religion because “God has given everyone the right to choose their own path.”

Vance faces strong criticism online

JD Vance faced strong criticism online after he said he would be happy if his wife, Usha Vance, embraced Christianity. Many accused him of being “Hinduphobic” and uncomfortable acknowledging her India(BHARAT)n and Hindu background.

Social media users pointed out that Vance referred to his wife as “agnostic,” suggesting he was reluctant to mention her Hindu roots. The backlash quickly spread, with people sharing photos from their Hindu wedding and claiming that Usha was clearly raised in a Hindu family.

Former India(BHARAT)n diplomat Kanwal Sibal also weighed in, writing, “He calls her agnostic, afraid to admit her Hindu origin. Where has all this talk of religious freedom gone? The U.S. has a Commission on International Religious Freedom — charity should begin at home.”

The controversy even led to speculation that the couple’s marriage was under strain, though there’s been no indication of that from either of them.

What Usha Vance said about her faith

In a recent interview, Usha Vance made it clear that she has no plans to convert. She explained that when she first met JD Vance, he wasn’t Catholic, and when he later converted, they discussed it openly. She added that their children will be free to decide for themselves if they want to be baptized as Catholics.

Talking about her own background, Usha said her grandmother is a deeply religious Hindu who performs daily pujas. While they don’t celebrate every Hindu festival at home, she said the family remains connected to their cultural and spiritual traditions.