The Hungarian conservative think tank Danube Institute has launched a new podcast series, hosted by foreign policy journalist Tamás Maráczi. The first episode featured American conservative author Rod Dreher, who offered personal insights into his long-standing friendship with JD Vance—now Vice President under Donald Trump’s second presidency—while also discussing his latest book and its documentary adaptation titled Live Not by Lies. The conversation drew connections between Vance’s rapid political ascent, Trump’s renewed leadership, and Dreher’s warning about the rise of ideological conformity he describes as ‘soft totalitarianism’.

JD Vance Speaks for the America Elites Left Behind

Dreher recalled meeting and interviewing JD Vance in 2016, shortly after reading Hillbilly Elegy—Vance’s best-selling memoir. At the time, the book was still relatively unknown. ‘It was just an ordinary conversation, but somehow it took off,’ Dreher said of their first interview, which went viral and helped propel Vance into national prominence. He emphasized that the book’s appeal lay in its raw honesty: ‘JD was telling a deeply important truth about America…No one had really told this story before.’

Vance’s portrayal of life in a struggling white working-class community, Dreher noted, helped understand the social base Donald Trump would tap into that same year. ‘JD explained it,’ he said, referring to Trump’s appeal among disenfranchised voters across the Rust Belt—a region of the United States that was long the country’s manufacturing, steelmaking, and coal-producing heartland but that underwent dramatic industrial decline resulting in widespread unemployment. It includes a large part of the Midwest (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin) along with Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and portions of New York. 

‘Vance’s portrayal of life in a struggling white working-class community helped understand the social base Donald Trump would tap into that same year’

Maráczi noted that many observers saw Hillbilly Elegy as ‘prophetic’, capturing the cultural moment that helped Trump win in 2016. Dreher agreed, pointing out that ‘these people were invisible to the elite media…JD Vance gave them dignity.’ Importantly, Dreher said, Vance didn’t present the working class as mere victims, but acknowledged ‘some of their problems are due to their own choices.’ That nuance, Dreher argued, is why Vance earned respect—both as an author and now a political leader.

JD Vance Loves Europe—Just Not Its Elites

Vance’s eventual entry into politics was no accident, but a path shaped by both his personal convictions and the encouragement of mentors like Dreher. ‘We became friends…He would call me for advice on politics and media strategy,’ Dreher said, describing their informal collaboration over the years. A major turning point came in 2018 during the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. According to Dreher, witnessing what Vance saw as a ruthless campaign by Democrats and media elites against Kavanaugh ‘radicalized him.’ Dreher added: ‘That’s when JD started shifting from anti-Trump to pro-Trump.’

This transformation culminated in Vance’s selection as Trump’s running mate in 2024 and subsequent election to the vice presidency. Dreher described Vance as a unique figure who ‘knew how to explain where he came from in language both elites and ordinary people could understand.’ His personal likability and intellectual credibility placated critics who tried to portray him as extreme. ‘He was disarming to people who wanted to portray him as a bully,’ Dreher said.

On the international stage, Vance has faced criticism—especially after his remarks at the Munich Security Conference and during the so-called ‘Signal-gate’ incident. European critics found his tone harsh. But Dreher defended him, saying: ‘What he doesn’t love is the European elite class…When JD criticizes Europe, he’s talking about Brussels and the ruling class—not ordinary Europeans.’ Dreher revealed that Vance had even planned a trip to Hungary in 2023, describing Hungary as a place with ‘sensible’ people and values aligned with his own.

Resisting Ideological Confirmity

Dreher also addressed the spiritual and philosophical underpinnings of his own recent work. Live Not by Lies, his 2020 book, draws inspiration from Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s last letter before expulsion in 1974. ‘The one thing everyone can do—no matter how powerless—is refuse to live by lies,’ Dreher explained. In today's West, that means resisting ideological conformity—whether around race, gender, or public health—when it violates personal convictions. ‘It doesn’t demand you give up your life—just your job, your status, your comfort…That’s still totalitarianism,’ he warned.

Though some suggest Dreher’s warnings were exaggerated, especially now that Trump is back in office, he pushed back: ‘It actually did come true under Biden.’ The book, ignored by the mainstream press, nonetheless sold over 200,000 copies. ‘Ordinary Americans recognized what was happening, and the book gave them a framework to understand it,’ Dreher said. Still, he stressed that political victories alone are insufficient: ‘The only way to defeat this for good is not just political—it’s cultural.’

That is why Dreher supported bringing Live Not by Lies to the screen. ‘A couple of years ago, I was approached by two producers who had worked with Dennis Prager…They said: “This book needs to be a film.”’ The result is a four-part documentary released by Angel Studios, featuring firsthand testimonies from Central European dissidents who resisted communist rule. Dreher recounted being moved to tears while watching the final episode. ‘Hearing their courage again—it hit me hard…Be careful. Watch out for soft totalitarianism. And respond to it with self-sacrificial courage.’

Dreher concluded with a powerful message: ‘If you don’t stand up now, while you still can—if you aren’t willing to say: “I will not live by lies”—then one day, you won’t be able to stand at all.’ 

The European premiere screening of Live Not by Lies will take place on 8 May at the Danube Institute in Budapest. Click here for more information.

Watch the full podcast below:

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