Former Vice President Mike Pence has urged President Donald Trump to end his religious feud with Pope Leo XIV, while also condemning the president for sharing what he called an 'offensive' AI-generated image of himself as Jesus Christ. In an interview with MS NOW published Thursday, Pence advised Trump to let the pope be the pope and focus on his presidential duties.
Pence's Remarks on the Feud
Pence stated that he believes the president was right to take down the controversial image and welcomed the apparent abatement of the ongoing argument. 'I think the Pope has every right to express himself in a manner that he believes is consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the president has every right to express his view and his agenda for the American people,' Pence said. 'If I was advising him — as I did every day for four and a half years — I'd say: Let the pope be the pope, and you be the president.'
Background of the Conflict
The feud began earlier this month when Pope Leo XIV, the American-born leader of the Catholic Church, criticized Trump's violent rhetoric toward Iran, calling his threats to wipe a 'whole civilization' off the map 'truly unacceptable.' Trump responded with a late-night rant on Truth Social, calling the pontiff 'WEAK' on crime and 'terrible' on foreign policy, and sharing an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus. The image, which showed Trump in a white robe and red sash with a glowing hand on a man's forehead, sparked backlash even among some Trump supporters, who accused him of blasphemy.
Trump's Defense
Trump later claimed he thought the image depicted him as a doctor, not Jesus, and blamed 'fake news' for the comparison. He refused to apologize to the pope. Despite the controversy, Pope Leo has vowed to continue speaking out against war, stating, 'Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way.'
Wider Context
The interview covered other topics, including the economy, tariffs, the war in Ukraine, and Pence's lack of communication with Trump's current Vice President, JD Vance. Vance, who became a Catholic in 2019, recently entered the fray, cautioning the pope to be 'careful when he talks about matters of theology.' Trump has continued to attack the pope on social media, accusing him of ignoring Iranian atrocities.
