Faith over family? Internet not impressed as JD Vance hopes wife Usha will embrace Christianity 'eventually'

US Vice President JD Vance seemingly threw his wife Usha Vance under the bus when he was asked whether his Hindu wife's religion conflicts with his hardline stance on immigration and religion. Vance said that he hopes his wife embraces Christianity.

Netizens, however, have not taken kindly to Vance's hopes and called him out for "chasing power" instead of "protecting his wife."

The incident happened when JD Vance was addressing students at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi. A student, likely of Indian-origin, asked Vance about the contradictions between MAGA's faith-first politics, and his relationship with his Hindu wife, Usha.

"How are you teaching your kids not to keep your religion ahead of their mother's religion?" the Indian-origin student asked.

Vance, who was brought up as an evangelical Protestant before becoming a Catholic in 2019, began by stating that he and Usha were both "agnostic or atheist" when they first met.

What he said next sounded like a purported invitation to convert and has sparked a debate over Vance's "Hinduphobia".

Vance, who has positioned himself as an advocate for America's Christian history, stated, "Most Sundays, Usha will come with me to the church."

"Do I hope, eventually, that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved in by church? Yeah, honestly, I do wish that, because I believe in the Christian gospel and I hope eventually my wife comes to see it the same way."

However, he ended with a disclaimer, almost apologetically. "But if she doesn't, then God says everybody has free will, and so that doesn't cause a problem for me," Vance said.

"...seems like, chasing power matters more to him than protecting his wife. Now, to make himself more 'electable,' he’s trying to rewrite her identity, claiming she’s agnostic/atheist, hoping she’ll 'eventually accept Christianity,' wrote a user on X.

Calling Vance a hypocrite, another user wrote, "So hypothetically speaking - if she were to come on stage and say the same that she wishes one day JD comes into Hindu fold, would he be comfortable with that thought? Only then I would believe his response here is genuine."

The Vance couple was married in 2014 in Kentucky and were blessed by a Hindu priest at a different event, according to a New York Times profile.

The Vances have three children: sons Ewan and Vivek, and a daughter named Mirabel.

Before becoming the Vice President, Vance had said that his wife “is not a Christian” but was “very supportive” of his deepening faith.