JD Vance has claimed that Christian settlers ended child sacrifice when they came to the “new world”, prompting fierce debate online.
Speaking during a Turning Point USA event on Wednesday (29 October), the vice president said: “When the settlers came to the new world they found very widespread child sacrifice”, later adding that ending the practice was “one of the great accomplishments of Christian civilization”.
The term “new world” caused contention online as, whilst there is archaeological evidence of widespread child sacrifice in Mesoamerican (such as Aztec, Maya) and some South American cultures, there is little evidence of this in North American indigenous societies.
Some critics accused Mr Vance for stereotyping all indigenous people with the claims.
