The administration’s back-and-forth with Pope Leo XIV continues. This time, Vice President JD Vance had to bumble through heckling from the crowd at a Turning Point USA event in Athens, Georgia, while trying to explain which side he thinks God takes in various American wars.
As economies flounder both within the borders of the United States and beyond, the Donald Trump administration has been struggling to defend a highly unpopular war globally. NATO has refused to join in, and several world leaders have been urging Trump, in strong terms, to find a way to end the war sooner rather than later.
But one voice few expected to emerge as a strong source of pressure was the pope. In recent weeks, Pope Leo has struck a consistently anti-war tone with Catholics around the world. For his part, Trump chose not to take the high road, publishing multiple posts calling the pope “weak on crime” and even taking credit for Pope Leo’s papacy by insinuating that he was only appointed by the cardinals because Trump is the 47th president of the United States.
While the pope simply responded that he is not intimidated by Trump, much of the commentary shifted toward Vance’s potential 2028 presidential run, given that he is Catholic. There was clearly a need for Vance to eventually address the feud. Whether he handled that well is something his supporters will ultimately decide.
According to The New York Times, Vance told the Turning Point USA audience that the pope was wrong when he said that Christ’s disciples were “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.” At that point, Vance was interrupted by a heckler in the crowd shouting, “Jesus Christ does not support genocide!” Vance ignored the interruption and said:
“Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis? I certainly think the answer is yes.”
Vance continued making his point, this time directly addressing the pope:
“In the same way that it’s important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy, I think it’s very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.”
However, the heckler continued referencing genocide, prompting Vance to respond, “I agree. Jesus Christ certainly does not support genocide, whoever yelled that out from the dark.” Vance was clearly trying to defend Trump while avoiding a direct attack on the pope — and, by extension, Catholics.
Vance added that he has deep respect for the pope, saying he personally admires Pope Leo and is not bothered when the pope speaks on “issues of the day.” Still, the administration’s position is that the Vatican should focus on moral guidance. And according to the administration, those moral questions do not extend to their immigration or foreign wars.
Vance attempted to strike a diplomatic tone in navigating the tension with the Vatican, but it remains to be seen whether that approach will hold. The midterms will likely serve as a test of whether the Trump administration’s tone on Christianity has any impact on the conservative vote.
