Political analysts and observers dragged Vice President JD Vance on Monday after he defended President Donald Trump's attack on Pope Leo XIV over the weekend.
On Sunday, Trump posted on Truth Social that Pope Leo is "weak" on crime and foreign policy. Trump added that he "doesn't want a Pope" who criticizes him or the war that the Trump administration started in Iran. Trump's comments were swiftly rebuked by members of both parties.
Vance defended those comments in an interview with Fox News's Bret Baier on Monday. Baier asked Vance if he thought the comments were appropriate.
"Look, the president has the prerogative to set American foreign policy and immigration policy. He has to look out for the interests of the United States of America," Vance said. "And that inevitably means that when the Vatican comments on American policy, disagreements are going to happen."
"I think it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality and the matters of the Catholic church, and let the president dictate American policy," he continued.
Political analysts and observers reacted on social media.
"Glad the Vice President clarified that he doesn't think waging war is a matter of morality," political commentator Jon Favreau posted on X.
"Huh! The Pope is not afraid of the Trump Administration," political strategist Donna Brazille posted on X.
"The Trump administration itself is not interested in matters of morality, that's for sure," journalist John Harwood posted on X.
"Spoken just like a fake Catholic who confused a Methodist church with a Catholic one on the cover of his book. I wonder if fake Catholics can get excommunicated," writer Polly Sigh posted on X.