US Vice President JD Vance has defended his remarks about his wife Usha’s Hindu faith, clarifying that she is “not a Christian and has no plans to convert.” Vance’s clarification came after his comments at a Turning Point USA event drew criticism online.
Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Vance was asked about his interfaith marriage and whether he hoped his wife, who was raised Hindu, would one day “come to Christ.”
What a disgusting comment, and it's hardly been the only one along these lines.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 31, 2025
First off, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I'm a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn't going to avoid the question.
Second, my… https://t.co/JOzN7WAg3A
Responding to the question, he said faith was deeply personal and had never caused conflict in their relationship.
Following the backlash, Vance elaborated on his comments in a post on X, clarifying that his wife remains devoted to her faith. “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.”
“What a disgusting comment, and it’s hardly been the only one along these lines. First off, the question was from a person seemingly to my left, about my interfaith marriage. I’m a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn’t going to avoid the question,” he stated on X.
He added that, as a national leader, he could not simply sidestep questions about his personal life. “I’m a public figure, and people are curious, and I wasn’t going to avoid the question,” he wrote.
Vance also claimed that his wife had played a vital role in his own faith journey. “My wife, as I said at the TPUSA, is the most amazing blessing I have in my life. She herself encouraged me to reengage with my faith many years ago,” he stated. Vance and his wife, Usha, who is of Indian origin, met while studying at Yale Law School.
Vance’s statement at Turning Point USA event
At the event, Vance stated, “Most Sundays she will come with me to church. 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,” he had said.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, in his social media post, Vance accused his critics of promoting prejudice against Christians. “Posts like this wreak anti-Christian bigotry,” he wrote.
“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.