JD Vance hopes his Hindu-raised wife Usha converts to Christianity, 'but if she doesn't...'

US Vice President JD Vance (R) and US Second Lady Usha Vance chat following an amphibious capabilities demonstration on Red Beach at Camp Pendleton, California, on October 18, 2025 as part of the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary celebrations. (Photo by Oliver Contreras / AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance has said that he hopes his wife, Usha Vance, who was raised in a Hindu household, will one day embrace Christianity. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Mississippi on Wednesday, Vance said he wishes his wife would be “moved” by the same faith that transformed his own life.

“Now, most Sundays, Usha will come with me to church. As I've told her, and as I've said publicly, and as I'll say now in front of 10,000 of my closest friends — do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? 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,” Vance said, responding to a question on whether his wife would eventually “come to Christ.”

Vance, a prominent Republican leader, converted to Catholicism in 2019. He revealed that when he met Usha, he considered himself an agnostic or an atheist. The couple now raises their children as Christians, and they attend a Christian school.

Despite expressing his hope that Usha converts, Vance said her faith does not create conflict in their marriage.

“But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me. That's something you work out with your friends, with your family, with the person that you love,” he added.

Vance’s remarks touched on broader themes of faith and governance, particularly on the role of religion in public life. When asked about the separation of church and state, he emphasized the importance of Christian values in America’s founding.

“I make no apologies for thinking that Christian values are an important foundation of this country,” Vance said. “Anybody who's telling you their view is neutral likely has an agenda to sell you. And I'm at least honest about the fact that I think the Christian foundation of this country is a good thing.”

Vance’s comments come amid a period of heightened sensitivity around faith and identity in the United States, particularly within the Indian-American community. Indians make up the largest group of H-1B visa recipients, and in recent months, there has been a surge in anti-Indian rhetoric and hate speech online.

After Tulsi Gabbard -- the Director of National Intelligence and the first Hindu elected to the US Congress -- posted greetings for Diwali on X, she was met with hateful responses. “Diwali is un-American. Move to India,” one user wrote. Another said, “Get out of my country.”

FBI Director Kash Patel, who also marked Diwali online, received similar messages. “Seek Jesus. He is the way, the truth and the light,” one user commented. Another said, “Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.”

Against this backdrop, Vance’s remarks about his wife’s Hindu upbringing and potential conversion have added fuel to conversations about faith, religious tolerance, and political identity in America.

Vance’s statements were met with applause from the conservative crowd, reflecting his growing influence among the right-wing Christian base that sees him as a defender of traditional faith values.