U.S. Vice President JD Vance said this week that he hopes his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, who comes from a Hindu Indian family, will one day embrace Christianity. However, he emphasized that her faith is a personal choice he fully respects.

Speaking at a Turning Point USA event at the University of Mississippi on Oct. 29, Vance said he was moved to convert to Catholicism after his marriage, while his wife, who grew up in a Hindu household, chose to remain outside the church. “Do I hope she’s moved by what moved me? Yes, honestly, I do,” he said. “But God gives everyone free will. That doesn’t cause a problem for me.”

Vance added that their three children are being raised Christian and attend a Christian school, though Hindu traditions are also part of their family life. Usha Vance, in a June interview with Meghan McCain, confirmed she does not plan to convert, noting that her children are learning about Hindu customs through books and recent visits to India.

The vice president’s remarks sparked mixed reactions online, with some accusing him of disrespecting his wife’s heritage. Vance responded on X, praising Usha as “the most amazing blessing” in his life and reaffirming his love and support for her “regardless of faith.”

The discussion comes as Vance, considered a leading Republican contender for 2028, continues to blend faith and politics. His interpretation of “ordo amoris,” a Catholic concept about the hierarchy of love, has previously stirred debate within church circles over its application to immigration policy.