(NewsNation) — Once a self-described “angry atheist”, Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance converted to Catholicism in August 2019.
He would become the second Catholic Vice President to ever sit in the White House, following President Joe Biden, who held the position during former President Barack Obama’s second term.
Vance would be the first Catholic to be a president or vice president for the Republican party. Both former President John F. Kennedy and President Joe Biden are Democrats.
Participate in NewsNation’s town hall with JD Vance
While Catholics have historically voted Democrat, there could be a shift in this election cycle. A new poll from the National Catholic Reporter revealed Catholic voters across seven battleground states favored former President Donald Trump ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris by five points.
The vice president led strongly among Black (77% to 16%) and Hispanic/Latino (67% to 28%) voters, while Caucasian Catholics favored Trump (56% to 40%).
NewsNation spoke with Catholic priest Father Leo Patalinghug, of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, about Vance’s faith and how it relates to his potential vice president role.
“When he messes up, and he will, because he’s human, he can ask forgiveness of God, church, and one another,” Patalinghug said.
“He should never be above being able to ask forgiveness to people who he’s harmed. Honestly, if any politician could actually own up to their mistakes and say, ‘I’m sorry. I’m human and I messed up in this because I didn’t have all the information, or because I might have been thinking selfishly.’ Honestly, that would be someone who I could vote for.”
NewsNation’s Town Hall event with GOP VP Nominee Sen. JD Vance airs Thursday 8p/7C.
