Vance doubles down on desire for Hindu wife’s conversion to Christianity

Vice President JD Vance has defended his public statements about wanting his Hindu wife, Usha, to embrace Christianity, dismissing criticism as “disgusting” and labeling it “anti-Christian bigotry.”

What he’s saying: Vance issued his defense on X Friday after a user in a now-deleted post accused him of throwing his wife’s faith “under the bus” to win favor with “groypers,” a term describing certain far-right extremists. In his response, the vice president characterized his remarks as a natural expression of belief, writing that his Christian faith “tells me the Gospel is true and is good for human beings.”

He noted that Usha herself “encouraged me to re-engage with my faith many years ago” and pledged to “continue to love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she’s my wife.” He added that believers wanting to share their convictions with others represents “a completely normal thing, and anyone who’s telling you otherwise has an agenda.”

Driving the news: The backlash stems from Vance’s remarks last Wednesday during a Turning Point USA gathering at the University of Mississippi that honored the organization’s late co-founder Charlie Kirk. When an attendee questioned the role of Christianity in demonstrating American patriotism, pointing to Vance’s own interfaith marriage, the vice president told the crowd, “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.”

The same attendee also challenged Vance on how administration immigration restrictions were harming lawful immigrants, prompting him to reply, “I’m gonna finish answering the question, and then if, you know, I’ve answered all nine of your questions in less than 15 minutes.”

What this means: Vance’s comments have intensified concerns about his approach to Asian American communities and issues of cultural sensitivity. His willingness to discuss such personal religious matters on a national stage raises questions about respect for his wife’s identity. Those concerns are compounded by the fact that he has not publicly condemned racist attacks directed at Usha and recently refused to denounce racist remarks about Chinese and Indian Americans found in leaked Telegram messages exchanged by Young Republican officials, instead dismissing them as “edgy, offensive jokes.”

Usha, meanwhile, has made clear she is “not intending to convert” and explained she provides her children with “plenty of access” to the Hindu tradition.