OXFORD, Miss. (Diya TV) — Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday he hopes his wife, Usha Vance, who was raised in a Hindu family, will one day embrace Christianity. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi, Vance shared personal details about faith, family, and raising their children in the Christian tradition.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, said his wife often joins him for Sunday services. “Most Sundays, Usha will come with me to church,” he said. “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.”
The comment came after a question from an Indian American woman in the audience about managing an “intercultural household.” Vance’s response drew applause from many in attendance, reflecting the growing interest in how public figures navigate faith and family differences.
Vance made it clear that his wife’s Hindu background does not create tension in their marriage. “If she doesn’t [convert], then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn’t cause a problem for me,” he said. “Faith is something you work out with your family and the person you love.”
The vice president also emphasized that their religious differences have not prevented them from building a strong family foundation. “We raise our kids Christian,” he said. “They go to a Christian school, and that’s important to both of us.”
Vance’s faith journey has been a defining part of his public life. Raised Protestant in Ohio, he spent years as an agnostic before converting to Catholicism. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati in 2019.
In interviews, Vance has often credited Usha for supporting his spiritual transformation. “She was raised non-Christian but very religious, and she knew I was searching for something,” he told Fox News last year. “She’s always supported me, even when she didn’t fully understand what I was looking for.”
Usha Vance, born Usha Chilukuri, echoed that sentiment in the same interview. “My parents are Hindu. That made them very good people. I’ve seen the power of that in my life,” she said. “I knew JD was searching for something. This just felt right for him.”
During his speech, Vance also spoke about the broader role of religion in American society. “I make no apologies for thinking that Christian values are an important foundation of this country,” he said. “Anybody who’s telling you their view is neutral likely has an agenda to sell you.”
His comments come as religious identity plays an increasing role in U.S. political and cultural debates. Discussions about faith, immigration, and national identity have grown more heated, especially on social media.
In recent weeks, Hindu American public figures such as Tulsi Gabbard and FBI official Kash Patel faced online criticism for celebrating Diwali, with some users labeling the festival “un-American.” Vance’s remarks, while personal in nature, touched on these broader cultural tensions.
Despite his strong Christian convictions, Vance stressed mutual respect within his marriage. “Faith should never divide a family,” he said. “It should help you understand each other better.”
