American Hindus Up in Arms Over JD Vance’s Remark on Usha Vance Embracing Christianity: ‘Engage with Hinduism Too’

JD Vance: Washington D.C., November 2025 — U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s comment about his wife, Usha Vance, possibly “finding Christianity”, has sparked outrage among Hindu Americans and interfaith groups on social media.

The backlash started with Vance’s public appearance in which he credited his wife for pushing him to reconnect with his Christian faith, hoping “one day she comes around to see things the same way.”

According to News18, Vance’s comments were perceived as if he thought his wife, who was raised Hindu, would eventually convert to Christianity. Several social media users, especially Hindu Americans, have been stating the comments as “tone-deaf” and “religiously insensitive,” asking the Vice President to show respect to his wife’s beliefs rather than framing religions as something to be “won over.”

Backlash from Hindu American Voices

Shortly after the video went viral, a number of Hindu organizations and commentators reacted to the clip on X (previously Twitter). One viral post said: “To be clear, Mr Vance — if your wife encouraged you to re-engage with your faith, why can’t you re-engage with hers? Hinduism is not a conversion religion; it is an inclusion religion.” Another user wrote that Hinduism’s pluralistic tradition concerns multiple mechanisms or paths to the truth, and it does not require one of the spouses to convert to get along. The post quickly garnered thousands of likes and retweets, treasurable frustrations for many Indian-origin communities in the United States over derogatory comments about faith and identity within a political context.

JD Vance’s Interfaith Marriage Under Spotlight

Vance is an emerging political star and likely a 2028 presidential candidate, who married Usha Chilukuri Vance, a daughter of Indian immigrants and lawyer-educated at Yale. Their marriage—which at one point was touted as representative of America’s diversity—is now being examined politically. 

Critics suggest that Vance’s recent commentary could alienate segments of Indian-American voters, many of whom embrace respect for interfaith and various cultural identities. 

Faith, Politics, and Pictures

While Vance hasn’t provided an explanation, political analysts note that his comments could have unintended consequences for votes and the election process. As one columnist observed, “In a diverse democracy, faith is personal—but how leaders speak about faith in public has really deep implications for how people will perceive both the speaker and their place in an inclusive democracy.”