US Vice President JD Vance has made his Catholic faith a central part of his public life since converting in 2019. Recently, he published a memoir titled Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, and met with the late Pope Francis at the Vatican on Easter Sunday in 2025, just a day before the pontiff’s death. As Vance considers running for president in 2028, his religious identity could become a key part of his campaign. If successful, he would be only the third Catholic president in US history. However, his dual background—having grown up with evangelical roots and now embracing Catholicism—may complicate his efforts to appeal to both Christian nationalist voters and fellow Catholics. Vance’s religious convictions were on full display during a keynote speech at the Republicans’ midterm convention in Dallas, where he referenced scripture and the Apostle Paul in honoring the late rightwing activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in 2024. Political scientist Larry Jacobs from the University of Minnesota called the speech “the beginning of the 2028 Republican primary competition.” Vance appears to be trying to build a political coalition that includes white Christian nationalists, a group that has been central to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Religious analysts have raised concerns that Vance’s conversion to Catholicism may create an identity conflict that could alienate both evangelicals and Catholic voters. During a recent interview with Christian podcaster Bryce Crawford, Vance was asked about “end times,” a concept deeply rooted in evangelical beliefs but not central to Catholic theology. Vance expressed interest in the idea, referencing a John Hagee Bible, but avoided a direct answer, saying he was more focused on “doing God’s work now.” Robert Jones, president of the Public Religion Research Institute, suggested Vance was trying to “have things both ways,” noting that his response was similar to how young evangelicals might approach the topic. Vance’s remarks also risked alienating Catholic voters. He once told Pope Leo XIV to “be careful” if he was “going to opine on matters of theology,” following a disagreement with Pope Francis over Vance’s use of the medieval concept of “ordo amoris” to justify the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Pope Francis rejected the idea in an open letter, citing the parable of the Good Samaritan. Daniel Hummel of the Lumen Center warned that Vance’s tendency to speak like an evangelical, despite being a recent Catholic convert, could anger even conservative Catholics. He also noted that Vance’s lack of clarity on his religious views could hinder his political ambitions. Political scientist Larry Jacobs noted that Vance might face challenges beyond theological disagreements, including questions about his authenticity. He contrasted Vance with former President Donald Trump, who resonated with many Americans due to his perceived authenticity. Meanwhile, Jones highlighted that Vance’s appeal to Christian values is supported by demographic trends showing that a majority of self-identified Republicans are white and Christian, with many supporting the Christian nationalist movement. In the same interview with Crawford, Vance revealed another potentially controversial belief: he claimed to see divine guidance in small coincidences, such as the failed assassination attempt on Trump in July 2024. He suggested that Trump’s brief glance at an immigration chart occurred at the exact moment the bullet passed, which he interpreted as a sign of divine providence. Jones warned that such unexamined beliefs, especially from a high-profile leader, could be problematic, as they are often interpreted as favoring the individual.