JD Vance's Message To Pope Leo Has The Internet Ripping Him To Shreds

JD Vance's embarrassing attempts at presenting a united front with Pope Leo XIV continue to fail miserably. In May 2025, the vice president took to Instagram to share a snap of him meeting with the first-ever American Pope as a part of the U.S. delegation's trip to Rome. While Vance gushed about what an honor it was to meet Pope Leo XIV, the internet believed that the feeling didn't go both ways. 

Many commentators referenced Pope Francis passing away shortly after meeting Vance, with one writing, "Let's hope this one doesn't die this time." Others noted that the "Hillbilly Elegy" author's caption, which stated that he wished that the Pope received guidance from the Holy Spirit, felt ironic given that he was the one who needed assistance to be a better person. One especially scathing comment for the vice president read: "Pope Leo has made it abundantly clear that he doesn't like your politics and you. Perhaps he prayed for you to change your ways! If only!!" 

They were, of course, referring to how the new Pope inadvertently embarrassed Vance at the start of his papacy. Earlier this month, a user on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted screenshots of his past tweets, which demonstrated that he had no love for the former Ohio Senator. "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others," the first American Pope wrote with a link to an article with the same headline. In other tweets and retweets, Pope Leo XIV criticized Donald Trump's immigration policies and his administration's nonchalance at their grave impact on people's lives. 

Pope Leo XIV supposedly made his dislike for JD Vance clear in person too, by snubbing him at his inaugural mass. According to the Daily Beast, the newly-elected pontiff spent considerable time meeting all of the various world leaders who attended the special event. However, when it came to JD, the Pope could only offer a 17-second chat over a handshake. Many believed that the outspoken leader also criticized Donald Trump's administration during his sermon by warning, "In this our time, we still see too much discord, too many wounds caused by hatred, violence, prejudice, the fear of difference, and an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth's resources and marginalizes the poorest." 

While Pope Leo XIV stayed true to his beliefs, the same cannot be said for Trump since his initial praise for the new Pope felt about as real as his spray tan. Shortly after the divisive politician learned that the world had its first American Pope, he took to Truth Social to offer his congratulations and praise. However, the president's happiness surrounding the situation felt fake since we already knew Pope Leo XIV's feelings about him by then. 

Trump's problematic Pope pic (which had a surprising fan) from a few days prior only made his praise seem even less believable. On May 2, 2025, the White House's official X account shared an AI-generated image of Trump dressed up as the Pope, which garnered over 100 million views and tons of intense backlash. Needless to say, the strange image likely didn't make Pope Leo XIV see Trump or his second-in-command in a better light.