Vance, who became a Catholic as an adult, reflected on these topics during a recent podcast discussion with Bryce Crawford, a US Christian podcaster.
Vance, responding to a question from Crawford, said: “Do I think that we’re in the end times? I don’t know. And I think that it’s probably bad for me spiritually to focus too much on it, because there are, like, things you gotta do.” He added: “I gotta be good to my wife. I gotta be good to my kids. I have to be as good of a leader as I can for the United States of America.”
The vice-president continued: “I think that there are, like, things about the world that make me feel, like, not shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us.” But Vance reiterated he was preoccupied with being vice-president, telling Crawford: “What I’m trying to focus on is doing as much of God’s work as possible right now.”
Dreher, who told the BBC he was present when Vance was received into the Catholic Church, rejected the suggestion that the remarks could damage Vance politically. “This might sound bonkers to someone who is outside the Christian religion, but it is a very, very common belief within Christianity,” Dreher said.
Dreher said his friend was reflecting on a world that appeared to be going “crazy” through the rapid development of artificial intelligence and ongoing conflicts. Dreher also drew a historical parallel to former President Ronald Reagan, who, Dreher said, made similar comments when he was the US president. Reagan’s remarks, Dreher said, were seen as “perfectly normal” by his voters.
Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, then in his mid-30s, and has described how the Church resonated with his family and social values and his conservative politics. Since becoming vice-president, Vance has publicly disagreed with Pope Leo and his papal predecessor, Francis, on issues including the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
In Christian theology, “end times” refers to theories about what will happen at the end of the world, with many churches teaching that God has a divine plan for the end of everything. The Antichrist, in the same tradition, is viewed as the enemy of God who appears during the final phase of the world’s existence and takes it over.
Vance is due to appear behind the lectern on Thursday afternoon to deliver the first White House press briefing since the departure of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.