Donald Trump has lashed out at Pope Leo several times over the past week. Now, Vice President JD Vance — who converted to Catholicism as an adult — has joined the president in accusing Leo of interfering in U.S. public policy.
Trump is clearly not a fan of Pope Leo. The American‑born leader of the Catholic Church from Chicago, Illinois, has repeatedly responded to Trump’s attacks in recent days.
On Sunday, April 12, Trump posted a lengthy rant on Truth Social about Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” Trump wrote. “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons — including murderers, drug dealers, and killers — into our country.”
Pope Leo has spoken out against Trump’s war in Iran, and while traveling on tour, he said he remains undeterred by the president’s criticism.
The Catholic leader added that he will continue to speak against war and promote peace. Leo stressed that global conflicts like the one in Iran are causing immense human suffering, and insisted that moral leadership requires advocating for alternatives to violence.
JD Vance accuses Pope Leo of interfering in U.S. policy
“I will continue to speak out loudly against war, promoting peace, dialogue, and multilateral relationships among states to find just solutions to problems,” Pope Leo told reporters. “Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there’s a better way.”
Trump is no longer the only administration official criticizing Pope Leo. Appearing on Fox News on Monday, April 13, Vice President JD Vance also weighed in.
When asked about Trump’s criticism of the Catholic leader, Vance accused Leo of interfering in U.S. public policy.
“I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality,” Vance told Fox News’ Brett Baier. “To stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic Church and let the president of the United States dictate American public policy. But when they’re in conflict, they’re in conflict.”
Converted to Catholicism as an adult
“I don’t worry too much about it, Brett,” the VP added.
Just weeks ago, JD Vance announced a new memoir titled Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith, in which he described his conversion to Catholicism.
“Communion is about my personal journey and how I found my way back to faith,” Vance wrote on X while promoting the book.
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