J.D. Vance Details 2019 Catholic Conversion and 2020 Turn to Trump in New Book
Updated
Updated · The Atlantic · Jun 15
J.D. Vance Details 2019 Catholic Conversion and 2020 Turn to Trump in New Book
3 articles · Updated · The Atlantic · Jun 15
Summary
Communion, due out June 16, presents Vance’s 2019 conversion to Catholicism alongside his account of moving from Never Trumper to Trump supporter by the 2020 election.
Vance writes that his political shift came from judging Trump’s presidency effective rather than from ambition, though he acknowledges critics see the reversal as a cynical bid for power.
The book also softens Vance’s public image, stressing humility, family and faith while offering clues about a possible 2028 run without directly declaring one.
On policy, Vance argues America has shed its Christian inheritance and defends hardline immigration enforcement even as he describes Vatican criticism of Trump-era policies as detached from governing realities.
That tension matters beyond memoir: as Trump’s coalition shows strains over Iran and other issues, Vance’s record of loyalty to Trump could shape whether he can emerge as a Republican heir.