by WorldTribune Staff, April 14, 2026 Non-AI Real World News
Pope Leo should stick to "matters of morality" and leave setting the policy of the Untied States to President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance said.
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Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Leo at the Vatican in 2025. / Video Image[/caption]
Leo, the first American pontiff, has been criticized Trump’s stances on issues like immigration and the conflict in Iran.
Over the weekend, Trump slammed the pope, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible on foreign 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’s Bret Baier on Monday. "And let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy."
Regarding Trump's posts on Truth Social slamming the pope, Vance said: "The President of the United States likes to mix it up on social media, and I actually think that's one of the good things about this president is that he's not filtered."
Related: Holy Info war: Two American ‘peacemakers’ come to verbal blows over Iran War, April 13, 2026
Vance, who has been vocal about his conversion to Catholicism, said he’s not concerned the president and pope are arguing, and that it’s natural for them to clash with opposing views.
"When they're in conflict, they're in conflict. I don't worry about it too much, Bret. I think it's a natural thing," he said. "I'm sure it will happen in the future, and it's not that big of a deal that it happened in the past."
Vance said the White House respects the religious authority of Pope Leo and affirmed they have a strong relationship with the Vatican.
"We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we're also [going to] disagree on substantive questions from time to time. I think that's a totally reasonable thing. It isn't particularly newsworthy," Vance said.
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