Vance's End Times Comments Reflect 'Common Belief' Among Christians, Associate Says
US Vice-President JD Vance recently stated he would not be shocked if the Antichrist was present in the world, a position his friend Rod Dreher characterized as mainstream Christian theology rather than fringe thinking.
What happened
During a podcast discussion with Christian podcaster Bryce Crawford, Vance responded to a question about end times by saying there were things about the world that made him feel not shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us, and expressed uncertainty about whether the world is in the end times. When asked by the BBC, Vance's friend Rod Dreher, a conservative writer who was present at Vance's 2019 conversion to Catholicism, defended the remarks as "a very, very common belief within Christianity" rather than unusual or extreme. Dreher noted that Ronald Reagan had made similar comments as US president and that his voters considered it "perfectly normal." Vance clarified in the podcast that such thoughts did not preoccupy him and that he was trying to focus on doing as much of God's work as possible as vice-president.
Context
Vance's remarks engage with Christian eschatological doctrine—specifically beliefs about the Antichrist and end times that many Christian denominations hold. By characterizing these views as mainstream rather than aberrant, Dreher's defense addresses potential political vulnerability from the comments, suggesting they would not alienate Republican voters who already hold such beliefs. The framing also positions Vance's religiosity within a long presidential tradition, citing Reagan as precedent. Vance's own clarification that such theological speculation does not preoccupy him attempts to distinguish between personal religious reflection and his vice-presidential duties.