Vance tells Pope Leo XIV to stay out of US public policy on ‘Special Report’
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Vice President J.D. Vance responded to Vatican criticism of the administration and told Pope Leo XIV to “stick to matters of morality” and stay out of American public policy.
Vance joined the “Special Report” in defense of the president, drawing a clear line between the pope’s religious authority and the president’s role in protecting the United States.
“Certainly in some cases I think it would be best for the Vatican to stick to moral issues,” Vance told Fox News’ Bret Baier on Monday. “And let the President of the United States continue to dictate American public policy.”
The first American pope criticized the Trump administration’s stance on issues such as immigration and the conflict in Iran. Over the weekend, President Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing the religious leader.
POPE LEO MENTIONED TRUMP’S IRAN DISCOURSE BEFORE APPEARING WITHOUT FIRE AT THE BREAKING MINUTE
Pope Leo XIV speaks to the media about the US-Israeli conflict with Iran as he leaves the papal residence to return to the Vatican in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on April 7. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime and Terrible on Foreign Policy.” He wrote, adding: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons.”
Speaking to reporters, Pope Leo denied being afraid of the Trump administration or trying to become a politician. “The message of the church, my message, the message of the Bible: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I don’t look at my role as political, as a politician.”
Voicing his conversion to Catholicism, Vance said he was not worried about the arguments between the president and the pope and that it was natural for them to clash with opposing views.
TRUMP ACCUSES POPE LEO OF BEING ‘TERRIBLE’ ON FOREIGN POLICY OVER PONTIFF’S ANTI-WAR COMMENTS
Vice President J.D. Vance speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force Two at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, April 8. (Jonathan Ernst-Pool/Getty Images)
“When they get into conflict, they get into conflict. I’m not too worried about it, Bret. I think it’s a natural thing,” he said. “I’m sure it will happen in the future, and what happened in the past is not that big of a deal.”
Vance added that this was not the first disagreement the two leaders had, but he did not expect it to be the last. Still, he said the White House respects Pope Leo’s religious authority and confirmed it has strong relations with the Vatican.
Pope Leo, ST. OIL BASILICA
“We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we also [going to] From time to time you may disagree on important questions. I think this is completely logical. It’s not particularly newsworthy,” Vance said.
He also touched on the backlash against an AI-generated image Trump shared and later deleted, which critics said depicted the president as Jesus. The vice president dismissed the controversy, calling it a misunderstood “joke.”
Pope Leo XIV meets with Vice President JD Vance at the Vatican on May 19, 2025. (Vatican Media/Vatican Pool – Corbis/Getty Images)
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“The president was broadcasting a joke, and of course he took it down because he realized that a lot of people in this situation weren’t getting his sense of humor,” Vance said.
“The President of the United States likes to stir things up on social media, and I think one of the good things about this president is that he’s unfiltered,” he added.
