Before the Papacy: Pope Leo’s Surprising Attacks on Trump and Vance

Pope Leo XIV, the first American to don the mantle of the Catholic Church’s top leadership, has a history as rocky as the Texas hill country regarding his views on President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. And all these were laid bare on the X account of Robert Prevost, the name he bore before ascending to the Papal throne.

In the early months of this year, he was seen echoing sentiments that challenged Vance’s perspective, and went ahead to repost a poignant headline: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” And in April, as Trump held discussions with Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s President, about the use of a controversial prison, Prevost voiced his concerns. He reposted a comment that asked, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?”

The social media account, active since 2011, hasn’t been officially confirmed as belonging to Prevost. Attempts by Reuters to verify its authenticity with the Vatican, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where Prevost was based for years, and the Peruvian Embassy to the Holy See remained unfruitful. The account, identified as @drprevost, was seen offering prayers for the late Pope Francis during his final months.

The question that keeps bouncing around my mind is… Will Pope Leo follow the path of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who championed the cause of the poor and immigrants, and often found himself at loggerheads with the Trump administration? Or will he carve a different path of diplomacy?

I’ve seen this pattern before. While Vance tried to downplay the differences after a meeting with Francis, the rift between their views was as wide as the Grand Canyon. Francis had openly called Trump’s immigration policies a disgrace. Yet, Trump has welcomed the appointment of the new Pope, calling it a “Great Honor for our Country.”

Pope Leo shares some common ground with Trump and Vance in his opposition to abortion. However, he parts ways with them on the issue of climate change, voicing his support for measures to fight global warming, while Trump withdrew the U.S from the Paris Climate Accord.

Pope Leo’s tenure will be steadier than a cypress in a storm or a tumultuous ride through the hills. But as my father used to say, “Time tells all tales.” This is a developing story, and only time will reveal the depth, direction, and impact of Pope Leo’s leadership on the world stage.