JD Vance has come under fire after expressing his desire that his wife one day “sees things” the way he does.
The Vice President made comments at a memorial service for Charlie Kirk at the University of Mississippi in October. Criticism was particularly strong among critics in India who feel his comments were defamatory towards his wife's Hindu faith.
Stating his wife grew up in a Hindu family, though reportedly not a “particularly religious one”, Vance was accused of insensitivity in “a political climate so charged against Indian immigrants”, according to CNN.
Critics stated that he went beyond politics by issuing a “presidential call to convert”.
Links were between Vance’s statements and the Christian-driven colonialism of the centuries, suggesting the connection between faith and public order mirrored the “civilisational justification that fuelled Europe’s conquest of the world”, according to The Hindu.
Chad Bauman, an expert in Hindu and Christian relations, stated that Vance’s comments reflected the attitudes of a nation that “privileges Christianity over all other religions".
Vance quickly defended himself, stating on X that the criticism looked like “anti-Christian bigotry”, before confirming that his wife was “not Christian” and had “no plans to convert”.
Nevertheless, he held firm to his original position, saying: “Like many people in an interfaith marriage…I hope she may one day see things as I do."
"Regardless, I’ll continue to love and support her and talk to her about faith and life and everything else, because she’s my wife," Vance concluded.