Vice President JD Vance addressed a crowd at the Make America Healthy Again summit held at the Waldorf Astoria on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) responded to Vice President JD Vance’s recent remarks about Pope Leo XIV.
Thune spoke up when asked about Vance’s comment that the Pope should be careful when discussing religious matters.
Vance, who became a Catholic after converting, made the comment during a Turning Point USA event in Georgia on Tuesday.
He said, “I think it’s very important for the Pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.” This came after the Pope criticized the war in Iran, which led to strong reactions from former President Donald Trump.
Vance also said, “I like that the Pope is an advocate for peace.
I think that’s one of his roles.” He then added, “On the other hand, how do you say that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword?”
Andrew Desiderio from Punchbowl News reported on Thune’s response to Vance on Wednesday.
Thune asked, “Isn’t that his job?” and said, “I’d stay focused on… the economic issues, pocketbook issues that most Americans care about. And let the church be the church.”
Thune had previously defended the Pope against Trump’s attacks, saying, “I would leave the church alone.”
Trump began his criticism of the Pope on Sunday by accusing the Catholic leader of being “weak on crime.”
He said, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, in a landslide, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.” He added, “Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.”
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