JD Vance Faces Resignation Calls After Trump Attacks Pope

Vice President JD Vance defended President Donald Trump on Monday following a weekend of escalating conflict between the administration and Pope Leo XIV.

The dispute culminated Sunday night when President Trump posted an AI-generated image to Truth Social depicting himself as a Christ-like figure healing a sick man, surrounded by bald eagles and American flags. The post followed comments from the president describing Pope Leo XIV as “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.”

Appearing on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, Vance—who converted to Catholicism in 2019—characterized the image as a “joke.” He stated that the president removed the post after recognizing that many people did not understand his humor. In a separate explanation to reporters, President Trump claimed he believed the image depicted him as a Red Cross worker or a doctor, dismissing other interpretations as the work of “fake news.”

Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the federal government, further suggested that the pope should “stick to matters of morality” and stay out of U.S. Foreign policy and American affairs. While stating that the United States maintains a good relationship with the Vatican, Vance argued it is “totally reasonable” for the White House and the Vatican to disagree on substantive public policy. He specifically cited the pope’s criticism of U.S. Immigration policy as an area of disagreement, noting that such policy is set by the president.

The incident has caused friction within the president’s own conservative coalition. Conservative pundit Carmine Sabia described the AI-generated post as “reprehensible,” attributing the act to narcissism and stating his primary loyalty remains with Jesus Christ over any political leader.

External criticism likewise mounted on Monday. Maria Shriver condemned the president’s “unhinged” attack on the pope via Instagram, arguing that the role of the presidency requires composure and compassion. Meanwhile, the controversy has triggered demands on the social media platform X for Vice President Vance to resign.

This internal and religious tension coincides with a period in which the administration is already managing backlash over the Iran war. Vance maintained that while disagreements with the Vatican will occur from time to time, the U.S. Continues to respect the pope.