Vance Opens Up About Faith and Usha’s Role in NBC Interview
Vice President JD Vance revealed the central role his wife Usha played in shaping his upcoming faith memoir “Communion” during an exclusive 25-minute interview with NBC News, describing her as a “vicious editor” who helped harmonize chapters and excise content that “didn’t add anything of value.” The wide-ranging conversation, published Tuesday, also touched on the ongoing Iran war, the controversial $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund, and the vice president’s relationship with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A Faith Journey, Guided by a Hindu Wife
Vance’s new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” is set for release on June 16 by HarperCollins and serves as a follow-up to his 2016 bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy.” In the interview, Vance credited Usha — who is Hindu — as indispensable to both the book and his spiritual path.
“Fundamentally, the book wouldn’t exist without her,” Vance said. “I certainly, I don’t think, would be a Christian today were it not for my wife.”
Vance, who grew up Protestant, drifted from Christianity during his time at Yale Law School and in Silicon Valley before converting to Catholicism in 2019. He acknowledged that Usha is unlikely to convert to Christianity, telling NBC News: “I’m OK with that.” The comment comes months after Vance faced criticism in November 2025 for expressing hope that his wife might convert — criticism he has described as reflecting anti-Christian bigotry.
“What I’d say about Usha is that one of the things I love about her is that she’s brilliant, but she’s also fiercely independent,” Vance said. “Christianity is a faith where, if you believe in it, you would like other people to believe in it, too.”
The Iran War and Just War Theory
The interview also touched on the U.S. war with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, with U.S.-Israeli airstrikes. Vance, known as an anti-interventionist who has expressed private skepticism about the conflict, cited Catholic “just war” theory as informing his thinking.
“But at its best, it’s forcing you to ask the right questions,” Vance said. “So I find myself constantly asking myself: ‘Is this justified? Is this moral? Is this the right thing to do?’”
A temporary ceasefire has been in place since April 8, though negotiations remain fragile. Vance described himself as “extremely hopeful” that Iran will agree not to develop nuclear weapons, while acknowledging that the “more difficult question” is whether enforcement mechanisms will provide lasting confidence.
The Anti-Weaponization Fund
Vance addressed the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization fund” — also called the 1776 Fund — created through a settlement of President Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over leaked tax records. The fund, administered by the Department of Justice, is intended to compensate individuals “wronged by the legal system,” but critics worry it could be used to compensate January 6 defendants.
Senate Republicans delayed a vote on an ICE and Border Patrol funding package due to concerns about the fund. Vance acknowledged the resistance: “Look, I understand the resistance. Any time you spend people’s money — and that’s what we do in the government, we spend other people’s money — you’ve got to be careful about it and deliberate about it.”
Rubio, 2028, and the Trump Question
Vance described Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a friend and intellectual influence, particularly on Catholic approaches to economics and trade policy. Both are seen as potential 2028 presidential contenders, though Vance declined to declare a candidacy, stating: “I’m not entitled to it.”
When asked about parallels between a philosopher’s parable about an infallible “stranger” and President Trump, Vance demurred: “I am certainly not going to compare the stranger in the parable who ultimately is Jesus to the president of the United States, as much as I love the president.”
What’s Next
“Communion” hits shelves on June 16, and its reception will offer an early measure of Vance’s ability to broaden his political appeal beyond his base. With the Iran ceasefire hanging in the balance, the anti-weaponization fund facing bipartisan skepticism, and 2028 speculation intensifying, the interview offered a rare glimpse into the personal and philosophical foundations of a vice president widely expected to seek the nation’s highest office.