US Vice-President JD Vance has faced attention after musing about the Antichrist and "the end times" during an appearance on a Christian podcast, prompting his friend, conservative writer Rod Dreher, to defend the comments as reflecting mainstream Christian belief rather than anything unusual. Dreher told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that such views are widely held among Republican-leaning voters in the US and dismissed any suggestion the remarks could damage Vance politically, comparing them to similar statements once made by President Ronald Reagan.

Speaking to Christian podcaster Bryce Crawford, Vance said he would "not be shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us" and admitted uncertainty over whether the world was in its "end times", while stressing he tries not to dwell on the topic given his responsibilities to his family and role as vice-president. Dreher, who was present when Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, said the comments reflected a sense that the world seemed increasingly "crazy" amid rapid AI development and ongoing conflicts. Vance, who has previously clashed with Pope Leo and the late Pope Francis over issues such as immigration policy, is due to give his first White House press briefing on Thursday since Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt's departure.