JD Vance Declares "We Always Will Be a Christian Nation" at Turning Point USA, Receives Standing Ovation from 30,000 Conservatives
Vice President JD Vance declared December 21 before over 30,000 young conservatives at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025 that "the only thing that has truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God, we always will be, a Christian nation," receiving the loudest applause of his entire speech.
Vance, America's second Catholic vice president, laid out a distinctly Christian vision for American politics at the Phoenix event, the first major gathering since Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk's assassination in September. The vice president stated
"I'm not saying you have to be a Christian to be an American. I'm saying something simpler and truer: Christianity is America's creed."
The Yale trained lawyer argued that Christian faith has provided a "shared moral language" since the nation's founding, which led to "our understanding of natural law and rights, our sense of duty to one's neighbor, the conviction that the strong must protect the weak, and the belief in individual conscience." Vance told the crowd that across American history, "our country's major debates have always centered on how we could best, as a people, please God."
Vance described how over past decades "freedom of religion transformed into freedom from religion" as those on "the left labored to push Christianity out of national life. They've kicked it out of the schools, out of the workplace, out of the fundamental parts of the public square." He continued, "And in a public square devoid of God, we got a vacuum. And the ideas that filled that void preyed on the very worst of human nature rather than uplifting it."
The vice president stated that cultural voices opposed to Christian faith "told us not that we were children of God, but children of this or that identity group. They replaced God's beautiful design for the family that men and women could rely on with the idea that men could turn into women so long as they bought the right bunch of pills from Big Pharma."
At the International Religious Freedom Summit in February 2025, Vance previously argued that "the famously American idea of religious liberty is a Christian concept," stating "religious freedom flows from concepts central to the Christian faith." Vance cited Tertullian, a second century Christian writer who argued genuine worship must be a matter of free will rather than coercion and is credited with coining the term "freedom of religion."
In October 2025, Vance explicitly rejected church state separation at a Turning Point USA event, stating,
"What I believe happened is the Supreme Court interpreted 'Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion' to effectively throw the church out of every public space at the federal, state and local level. I think it was a terrible mistake, and we are still paying for the consequences of it today."
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in adulthood and has stated he hopes his Hindu wife Usha will eventually convert to Christianity, told the AmericaFest crowd at the conclusion of his speech, "While only God can promise you salvation in heaven, I promise you closed borders and safe communities. I promise you good jobs and a dignified life. Together, we can fulfill the promise of the greatest nation in the history of the earth."
The vice president also told the Turning Point USA audience, "In the United States of America, you don't have to apologize for being white anymore," declaring that the Trump administration has "relegated DEI to the dustbin of history, which is exactly where it belongs."
Vance's remarks came as the Trump administration implements policies informed by Christian nationalism, including allowing government employees to proselytize at work and encouraging coworkers to report each other for "anti Christian bias." The administration's approach reflects Vance's stated belief that Christian principles should guide federal policy and public life.
The vice president explained what saved him personally was "realizing that the story of the Christian faith, like the story of these United States of America, is one of immense loss followed by even bigger victory. It's a story of very dark nights followed by very bright dawns. What saved me was remembering the inherent goodness of God and that His grace overflows when we least expect it."
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
Vance said what needed saying. America is a Christian nation.
The crowd of 30,000 erupted because they're exhausted from being told their faith is embarrassing. Tired of watching Christianity expelled from schools, workplaces, and public squares while every other ideology gets celebrated.
For decades, Republicans muted their faith to win suburban voters and appease media. Speak vaguely about values. Never say Jesus. Never say Christian.
That strategy produced electoral losses and moral cowardice.
Vance represents something different. Say what is true. Trust voters with the truth. Let the chips fall.
The Left screams "theocracy" whenever Christians assert that their faith shaped America's foundations. But Vance stated historical fact. From colonial charters to Revolutionary War sermons, from abolition to civil rights, Christianity shaped this nation's moral language.
When God is recognized as central, human dignity becomes non negotiable. When society decides nothing is sacred, nothing is protected.
Culture flows from belief. Laws flow from culture. A nation that forgets God shouldn't be surprised when it can't define basic reality like male and female.
Vance's declaration opens the door to renewal. Whether America walks through depends on whether more leaders find courage to say what millions already know.
By the grace of God, this nation was formed. By the grace of God, it can be restored.
TAKE ACTION
Support Christian Political Engagement: Faith & Freedom Coalition Website: https://www.ffcoalition.com Phone: +1 (770) 622-1501 Email: info@ffcoalition.com
Defend Religious Freedom: Alliance Defending Freedom Website: https://adflegal.org Phone: +1 (800) 835-5233 Email: media@adflegal.org
Join Faith Based Advocacy: Family Research Council Website: https://www.frc.org Phone: +1 (800) 225-4008
Start Conversations: Tell people: "JD Vance declared America is a Christian nation and 30,000 people gave a standing ovation. Why are Christians told to hide their faith in public while every other worldview gets celebrated?"
