Recent remarks by US Vice-President JD Vance about the Antichrist and "the end times" are a "very, very common belief", one of his friends says.
Vance recently mused on his religious views while responding to a question on a Christian podcast. He said he would "not [be] shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us" and speculated on whether the end of the world was nigh.
His friend Rod Dreher, a conservative writer, rejected any suggestion that the comments would harm the vice-president. He told the BBC's Today programme: "Most Americans who are inclined to vote Republican already believe this stuff."
In his podcast comments, Vance also clarified that such thoughts did not preoccupy him.
In Christianity, the "end times" phrase refers to theories about what will happen at the end of the world. Many churches believe God has a divine plan for the end of everything.
Meanwhile, the Antichrist is seen as the enemy of God who appears during the final phase of the world's existence and takes it over.
Vance, who became a Catholic as an adult, reflected on these topics during a recent podcast discussion with Bryce Crawford, a US Christian podcaster.
"Do I think that we're in the end times? I don't know," he said in response to a Crawford question on the subject. "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.
"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 by saying: "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 that he was preoccupied with being vice-president, explaining: "What I'm trying to focus on is doing as much of God's work as possible right now."
Reacting to Vance's comments about the Antichrist, Dreher said: "This might sound bonkers to someone who is outside the Christian religion, but it is a very, very common belief within Christianity."
He said his friend was simply reflecting that the world appeared to be going "crazy" through the rapid development of AI and ongoing conflicts.
Dreher, who was present when Vance was received into the Catholic Church, said Ronald Reagan had made similar comments when he was the US president, and that this was 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, he has occasionally tangled with Pope Leo and his papal predecessor Francis, on issues including the Trump administration's immigration policy.
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.