Vance Suggests Pope Focus on Church Matters in Fox News Interview

By Chris Cameron

*Reporting from Washington*

*April 14, 2026*

Vice President JD Vance defended President Trump’s recent criticism of Pope Leo XIV during a Fox News interview on Monday, suggesting that the Vatican focus on church-related issues.

The remarks came amid an exchange between Trump and the pope over U.S. policies on war, immigration and crime. Trump accused the pope on Sunday of being “too liberal” and “weak on crime.” The pope had previously criticized U.S. involvement in the Iran war, Venezuelan deportations and immigration enforcement measures.

Pope Leo XIV, speaking to reporters on Monday at the start of a trip to Africa, said he had “no fear of the Trump administration.” He added that he was committed to “speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do.”

*Vice President JD Vance speaks during a trip on Sunday.*

*Credit...Pool photo by Jacquelyn Martin*

In the Fox News interview, Vance, a Catholic, addressed Trump’s comments when asked if he agreed with the characterization of the pope. “Stick to matters of, you know, what going on in the Catholic Church,” Vance said. “And let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy.”

He described such conflicts between church and state leaders as “natural,” adding, “When they are in conflict, they are in conflict. I don’t worry about it too much.” Vance continued: “I think it’s a natural thing. I’m sure it will happen in the future and it’s not that big of a thing that it happened in the past.” He also praised Trump’s “unfiltered” communication style during the discussion.

Vance’s comments echo a long-standing distinction in U.S. politics between religious authority and public policy. Roman Catholics are expected to adhere to the pope’s guidance on church doctrine, but not necessarily his views on political matters. During his 1960 presidential campaign, John F. Kennedy stated that he believed in an America “where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope.”

Trump’s social media posts on Sunday night described Pope Leo as “too liberal,” “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” Trump also claimed he deserved credit for the pope’s election. The two leaders have clashed publicly over U.S. military actions in Iran and strict immigration policies, including deportations of Venezuelans.

The interview also touched on a separate Trump social media post featuring an AI-generated image that some interpreted as depicting the president in a Jesus-like pose. Vance described it as “a joke,” noting that Trump had deleted the post after recognizing that “a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump confirmed the deletion. In a CBS News interview earlier, Trump said he intended the image to show him as a doctor. “I viewed that as a picture of me being a doctor in fixing — you had the Red Cross right there, you had, you know, medical people surrounding me,” Trump said. “And I was like the doctor, you know, as a little fun playing the doctor and making people better. So that’s what it was viewed as. That’s what most people thought.”

The exchange highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the Vatican on foreign policy and domestic issues. No immediate response came from the Vatican beyond the pope’s Africa remarks.

Chris Cameron covers Washington for The Times, focusing on breaking news and the Trump administration.

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