JD Vance refused to talk politics about the newly elected pope on Friday, calling his election a "great thing." (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Alberto PizzoliAFP via Getty Images)
"People are asking is he a conservative or is he a liberal," Vance continued. "Will he attack President Trump and J.D. Vance on certain things, and hasn’t attacked Democrats on other things."
He said his thoughts on that were that it’s hard to "fit a 2,000-year-old institution into the politics of 2025 America."
Vance added that as a Catholic convert, he tries "not to play the politicization of the Pope game. I’m sure he’s going to say a lot of things that I love. I’m sure he’ll say some things that I disagree with, but I’ll continue to pray for him and the Church despite it all and through it all, and that’ll be the way that I handle it."
Vance’s remarks came after news spread of an X account linked to Cardinal Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, that reposted articles earlier this year criticizing the Trump administration on its deportation push.
He also agreed with Hewitt that it was "disappointing" that reporters asked cardinals in a press conference about Leo’s election about Trump.
FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION
The newly elected Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is seen for the first time from the Vatican balcony on May 8. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
"It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope," he wrote in Truth Social Post. "What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
However, other conservatives like Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump's first administration and a Catholic, called Leo the "worst pick ever."
Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that "the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis."
Conservative radio host Charlie Kirk said in a video on X, "Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about."
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Kirk added that "overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty."
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/vance-says-he-wont-play-politicization-pope-game-leo-xiv-conservative-liberal