EXCLUSIVE: Vice President JD Vance said years spent chasing academic, professional and financial success ultimately left him searching for something deeper, leading him back to Christianity and eventually to the Catholic faith he practices today.

«I was really worried about where I went to school and what kind of job I had and what kind of money that I made. But I felt like that wasn’t making me a good person, whereas the Christians in my life seem to have it figured out,» Vance told Fox News Digital in an interview as his new memoir, «Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,» hit bookshelves.

 Whether they were rich or poor, whatever their background or education was. They were just much better people; they were much more gracious and much more kind.»

Vance’s book debuted on Tuesday, recounting the path that took him from a Protestant childhood to atheism — and ultimately to the Catholic faith he embraces today. Vance’s reflections come as he is increasingly regarded as one of the Republican Party’s strongest potential presidential candidates for 2028.

JD VANCE RELEASING BOOK ABOUT FAITH JOURNEY, CONVERSION TO CATHOLICISM

«There have been so many people who have been very good to me, but I just felt at home in the churches that I was going to with my Catholic friends and that’s a big part of why I converted,» Vance told Fox News Digital.

He came to believe that the joy, kindness and character he saw in the Christians around him stemmed from their faith.

«Some of those people call the Catholic Church their home. So I’d go to church with them or I’d talk to them about various things that were on my mind… sometimes God puts people in front of you,» said Vance.

SECOND LADY USHA VANCE ON MOTHER’S DAY AND WHAT SHE STRIVES FOR AS A MOM

Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance attend the Commander-in-Chief Ball in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

He shared that he loves how American Christianity is «dynamic» with the various denominations.

Vance drew headlines in October when he spoke out about his wife’s Hindu faith, sharing his desire for her to convert.

«Do I hope eventually that she is somehow moved by the same thing that I was moved by in church? Yeah, I honestly do wish that,» Vance said at the time.

In his book, the vice president points out that it is his wife who helps usher the children off to Sunday Mass even though she does not practice Catholicism.

JD VANCE DEFENDS WIFE USHA AGAINST ‘DISGRACEFUL’ ATTACKS OVER INDIAN HERITAGE: SHE’S ‘WAY OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE’

In his new book ‘Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,’ VP JD Vance recounts his spiritual journey and how his wife supports his Catholic faith life. (Fox News Digital)

«Usha and I talk about everything. She really is my best friend, and she’s the most interesting person,» said Vance.

The Vances have three children, Ewan, 8, Vivek, 5, and Mirabel, 4, and are expecting a fourth child in July.

Vance said he was surprised by the backlash to his comments last year, arguing that it is «common sense» to want the people you love to share your faith.

Illinois Democratic representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is Indian-American himself, took aim at the vice president.

«At a time when Hindu and Indian-American communities are confronting a climate of rising prejudice, talk of mass deportations, and growing anti-Hindu sentiment—even against members of his own party—it’s deeply disappointing that the Vice President would add to that climate through his recent comments while remaining silent in the face of hate,» the congressman wrote on X.

Vance shared that their family life is still centered around faith no matter what faith it is.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

«She definitely participates in the rituals of the church with us, and I really love that. That’s part of our family life that is very good. Whether we do church at home or whether we go out to a church, she’s the person who’s helping me get the kids ready, and the kids are always late, and it takes forever to get their shoes on.

«Even though she’s not a Christian, she’s been very much a part of my faith journey in ways big and small,» said Vance.

Rivales ideológicos y con estilos políticos antagónicos, Iván Cepeda y Abelardo de la Espriella buscarán este domingo llegar a la presidencia de Colombia en un balotaje que elegirá al sucesor de Gustavo Petro.

En juego están dos modelos contrapuestos. Por un lado, la continuidad representada por Cepeda, del izquierdista Pacto Histórico y heredero político del presidente Petro; y por el otro, la ruptura total que irrumpe de un “outsider” con un discurso de “mano dura” como el del postulante del partido derechista Defensores de la Patria.

Más de 41 millones de colombianos están habilitados para votar este domingo.

En la primera vuelta celebrada el 31 de mayo, De la Espriella se impuso por alrededor de tres puntos de ventaja (43% a 40%) sobre Cepeda. Hoy, el candidato de una derecha radical es el favorito, según coinciden la mayoría de las encuestas.

El ganador asumirá el poder el 7 de agosto.

Iván Cepeda, el heredero de Gustavo Petro

El senador Iván Cepeda tiene 63 años. Es el candidato de la continuidad del gobierno de izquierda de Petro, quien no puede ser reelecto en forma consecutiva, según lo prohibe la Constitución.

Sin embargo, sus estilos difieren.

“Cepeda tiene una visión más sopesada y un estilo sobrio. Petro es más extremista y propenso a discursos incendiarios. Pero ideológicamente son muy similares”, dijo a TN el analista político colombiano Carlos Moreno, profesor de la Universidad Javieriana de Bogotá.

El candidato del Pacto Histórico es hijo del histórico dirigente comunista Manuel Cepeda Vargas, asesinado por agentes del Estado el 9 de agosto de 1994 con la complicidad de paramilitares.

En Colombia es reconocido por su extensa trayectoria en el campo de la defensa de los derechos humanos.

Así, lideró el Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes del Estado (Movice) e impulsó los acuerdos de paz firmado con los movimientos guerrilleros en los últimos años.

También fue facilitador del Acuerdo de Paz entre el gobierno y las irregulares Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) en 2016 y participó en el diálogo con el Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).

Leé también: A tres meses y medio de las elecciones en Brasil, un escándalo de corrupción amenaza al gobierno de Lula

“Gran parte de su vida giró alrededor de su lucha por los derechos humanos. Recién en los últimos años se convirtió en congresista. Es una de las figuras sobresalientes de la izquierda colombiana”, dijo Moreno.

Su paso a la política se produjo en los últimos años. Fue diputado entre 2010 y 2014 y en las elecciones de 2021 fue electo senador.

Cepeda ha enfrentado graves problemas de salud en los últimos años. Así, enfrentó con cirugías y tratamientos de quimioterapia un diagnóstico de cáncer de colon y una lesión cancerígena en el hígado.

Desde la campaña de su rival llegaron a afirmar que no podía caminar.

“Mi estado de salud es óptimo en este momento. Estoy plenamente facultado, capacitado, estoy en las mejores condiciones para ejercer no solamente lo que queda de esta campaña, sino en el futuro la Presidencia de la República”, afirmó Cepeda en una declaración en la última semana.

Abelardo de la Espriella, un “outsider” admirador de Nayib Bukele

En la vereda de enfrenta se encuentra el mediático abogado Abelardo de la Espriella, de 47 años.

Con un discurso de ruptura, este abogado, empresario y creador digital es el representante de la derecha dura de la región y un profundo admirador de Nayib Bukele, el presidente de El Salvador.

No solo promete la misma “mano dura” que practica Bukele en su país. También imita su estilo: la misma barba, el mismo corte de pelo.

Liberal en lo económico, apostó en campaña por un discurso contra la ola de violencia desatada por la guerrillera y organizaciones criminales. Así dijo que, de ganar, dejará de lado el diálogo impulsado por Petro y bombardeará a estos grupos ilegales.

“Tiene una postura fuerte en materia de seguridad. Busca imitar a Bukele. Pero en términos económicos no es muy distinto a los programas de la derecha tradicional”, dijo Moreno.

Para el analista, De la Espriella impulsará un ajuste del Estado de llegar a la presidencia como hizo Javier Milei en Argentina, pero con una salvedad que lo aleja del modelo libertario argentino.

“La derecha colombiana tienene en mente programas sociales para reducir la pobreza y eso él lo ha men cionado”, indicó.

De la Espriella irrumpió en la casa de los colombianos a través de los medios cuando ejercía de abogado en algunos de los casos judiciales más polémicos del país. Fue asesor de las paramilitares Autodefensas Unidas en el último proceso de paz y abogado de Alex Saab, el operador financiero colombiano-venezolano considerado testaferro de Nicolás Maduro.

Pero no solo eso. También defendió a David Murcia Guzmán, el creador de DMG, una estafa piramidal que afectó a más de 200.000 ahorristas colombianos con un esquema Ponzi, según las denuncias.

En 2017, cuando aún era abogado de Saab, hoy detenido en Estados Unidos, traspasó todos los límires al pedir asesinar a Maduro en un artículo de opinión publicado en El Heraldo de Barranquilla.

“Los venezolanos de bien y la comunidad internacional en pleno deben entender que la muerte de Nicolás Maduro se hace necesaria para garantizar la supervivencia de la República. No se trataría de un asesinato común, sino de un acto patriótico que está amparado por la constitución venezolana y que resulta, por demás, moralmente irreprochable”, escribió entonces.

Leé también: Rusia pierde otro aliado estratégico: Armenia mira a Europa y Putin lanza sanciones bajo la sombra de Ucrania

Tuvo que renunciar al periódico en medio de un escándalo. Pero no se arrepintió de nada. Al poco tiempo publicó el libro “Muerte al tirano”.

“Aparece como una persona bastante liberal, pero desde el año pasado comenzó a presentar posiciones muy conservadores”, dijo Moreno.

Como admirador de Bukele, promete replicar en el país el modelo salvadoreño, que acabó con la violencia de las pandillas pero en medio de fuertes denuncias de violaciones a los derechos humanos y de retroceso democrático.

“En Colombia no podrá hacer lo mismo que Bukele. Aquí están más consolidados los contrapesos democráticos”, afirmó el analista.

As data center projects continue to get shut down across the country, «Shark Tank» star Kevin O’Leary and other investors are warning that the facilities are needed to compete with China in the artificial intelligence race.

Data centers are at the forefront of the continued development of AI, serving as the hardware for the large amount of electricity and infrastructure needed to improve response time and data storage. But opponents cite utility costs to local residents and environmental concerns in their efforts to block development of new centers.

«If everybody talks about data centers, too much heat, too much noise, too much water, all that, that was 20 years ago,» O’Leary told Fox News Digital. «Today’s technology is completely different in terms of the heat profile, in terms the water profile, in terms how big these buildings have to be and where they have to be, because we’ve got air-cooled technology and obviously the chip technology’s advanced.»

TRUMP SAYS EVERY AI PLANT BEING BUILT IN US WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINING WITH THEIR OWN ELECTRICITY

O’Leary said China is focused on improving its power grid, which is needed in order to support the massive electricity demands of running a data center. He noted that data centers can function using varied energy sources.

Protesters react as the Box Elder County Commission approves a large AI data center project in Tremonton, Utah, on May 4, 2026. Activists opposed the proposed 40,000-acre development over concerns about water use, energy demand and environmental impact. (Natalie Behring/Getty Images)

«Most of it is coming from burning nat[ural] gas, which is very clean now, with turbines,» he said. «Hopefully nuclear power one day, some solar, some battery, all of it together. I think the key is that they’re beating us because they’re getting more power sooner, and then they’re building these data centers to train their own AI. The country that has the best AI will have the best economy and the best defense, the best military, and win all the wars because it’s going robotically.»

REPORT: CHINESE PROPAGANDA, SINGHAM NETWORK, FOREIGN DARK MONEY LINKED TO CAMPAIGNS AGAINST DATA CENTERS

President Donald Trump has pushed hard for new data center production. Last July, he signed an executive order titled «Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure» which directed agencies to reduce the regulatory burdens that have been slowing data center development.

Earlier this week, Fox News Digital obtained a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche from Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., calling for federal investigators to examine whether foreign actors are attempting to shape U.S. public opinion and policy against data centers and AI development as Washington and Beijing compete for dominance in artificial intelligence.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., arrives for a vote in the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025, stating the war with Iran will continue for weeks as the U.S. limits their offensive capabilities. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

«Recent reports show that Communist China is attempting to influence our policy and public opinion on data centers. The reason is obvious: They want to kneecap our processing power to win the AI race,» Cotton told Fox News Digital.

SEN BERNIE SANDERS: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS COMING FOR THE WORKING CLASS. WE MUST FIGHT BACK

Despite the push to put U.S. production ahead of Beijing, some liberals in Congress have been reluctant to get on board with data center development. In March, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., introduced the Intelligence (AI) Data Center Moratorium Act.

«Congress has a moral obligation to stand with the American people and stop the expansion of these data centers until we have a framework to adequately address the existential harm AI poses to our society,» Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement about the legislation. «We must choose humanity over profit.»

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hold a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 25, 2026, to announce the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

But some experts tie data center production to economic gains, saying that the jobs created from the facilities benefit communities and local economies.

STEVE FORBES: THE AI COLD WAR HAS BEGUN AND AMERICA CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE

«In the first six months Trump was in office, over 90% of all economic growth came from new computer and AI investment, and much of it came from data centers,» Judge Glock, director of research and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, told Fox News Digital. «Without continued growth in data centers, we would have higher unemployment and lower incomes. Data centers also bring big gains to local communities.»

Leading voices in AI also noted China’s ability to construct data centers at a much faster rate than the U.S. Last November, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the communist country’s building capabilities far exceed that of the U.S.

«If you want to build a data center here in the United States, from breaking ground to standing up an AI supercomputer is probably about three years… they can build a hospital in a weekend.»

President Donald Trump speaks with Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang during the Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Nov. 19, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP)

O’Leary said the competition with China should alarm Americans, adding that if the U.S. falls too far behind, Beijing could gain the ability to devastate the U.S. economy and national security.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

While production capabilities are in question, widespread data shows that the U.S. currently has a significantly higher number of functional data centers already built compared to the number reported in China.

According to Statista, the U.S. has more than 4,000 facilities as of April, while China has just over 300 — fewer than the United Kingdom and Germany. Still, O’Leary warned that China could outpace the U.S. over the long term if the U.S. slows development.