Washington, D.C. — In a rare and candid interview, Second Lady Usha Vance is shedding light on how she and Vice President JD Vance balance faith, parenting, and personal values within the unique environment of the Naval Observatory. Speaking on Meghan McCain’s Citizen McCain podcast, Usha offered a personal glimpse into the Vance household, which she describes as interfaith by design and deliberate in its approach to raising children with both Hindu and Catholic traditions.

Usha Vance, a practicing Hindu and accomplished attorney who clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals, described the thoughtful process she and her husband went through when JD Vance converted to Catholicism after the birth of their first child.“At the time when I met JD, he wasn’t Catholic, and he converted later… maybe it was after Vivek was born too,” she recalled. “When you convert to Catholicism, it comes with several important obligations, like to raise your child in the faith and all that.”

The conversion prompted deep conversations between the couple—discussions that remain central to how they raise their three children, Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.“We had to have a lot of real conversations about how do you do that, when I’m not Catholic, and I’m not intending to convert,” she said.

That openness and mutual respect have shaped their parenting philosophy. The children attend Catholic school, but Usha emphasized they are given agency in how they engage with religious practices, including whether or not to be baptized.“Our oldest child has chosen to be baptized and gone through the process. But they know that I’m not Catholic,” Usha said. “They have plenty of access to the Hindu tradition—from books that we give them, to things that we show them, to the recent trip to India and the religious elements of that visit.”

The family’s visit to the Vatican earlier this year made headlines, not only for the symbolism of an American vice president meeting with high-ranking Catholic officials, but also for the presence of a multicultural, multifaith family navigating those diplomatic waters with grace. A widely circulated photograph from April shows Vice President Vance, Usha, and their children alongside Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Usha said the couple has made church attendance a “family experience,” but added that no single faith dominates their home. Rather, the children are encouraged to explore both traditions in a way that fosters understanding and respect.

This inclusive approach to faith stands in sharp contrast to some of the political narratives that have followed the Vance family—particularly Usha herself. Once described by friends as a Democrat with progressive leanings, she has come under scrutiny for her evolving political affiliations since her husband’s rise in Republican politics.

A recent New York Times profile portrayed friends as “bewildered” by her shift from the left to her current role as the spouse of a conservative vice president. However, others close to the couple say the transition was less abrupt than it appears.

According to the Times, Usha became disillusioned with the Democratic Party over time, particularly during the contentious 2018 confirmation hearings of now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Having clerked for Kavanaugh, Usha was reportedly outraged at how the hearings unfolded. “People close to the vice president… argue that Ms. Vance went on a similar but less public journey that soured her on the left,” the paper reported.

Usha herself has not spoken extensively about her political views, preferring to maintain a low profile despite being thrust into the national spotlight. But she has addressed the challenges of public life and the scrutiny that comes with her husband’s high-profile position. “Sometimes I don’t see it all, and sometimes I do see it and I look at it and think, well, this is not the JD I know, this is not accurate,” she said in an August appearance on Fox News with Ainsley Earhardt. “Other times it might spark discussions or thoughts about what we should do next or how we should live.”

She added that she’s developed “a thick skin” in response to negative media coverage, acknowledging that the scrutiny is part of the territory.

Despite the political spotlight, Usha Vance remains focused on her role as a mother and as a stabilizing force in a family navigating both spiritual diversity and political prominence. Her interview with McCain revealed a woman who is both deeply thoughtful and grounded, grappling with complex questions about faith and identity in a modern American family.

As the Vance family continues to serve in one of the nation’s highest offices, their interfaith approach may come to symbolize a broader vision of American pluralism—one that doesn’t demand conformity, but rather embraces coexistence and conversation.

In an era of heightened polarization, Usha Vance’s reflections stand as a quiet but meaningful statement: faith, family, and political evolution can coexist—and even flourish—when grounded in honesty, respect, and mutual understanding.