Mike Johnson Defends Trump And Vance Against Pope Leo XIV's Political Criticism

House Speaker Mike Johnson publicly defended President Trump and Vice President Vance amid their escalating feud with Pope Leo XIV.

“Americans are reacting to President Donald Trump’s escalating feud with Pope Leo XIV and the backlash surrounding an AI-generated image depicting the president as a Jesus-like figure, which has since been deleted”

BBC

Johnson said, I'm not one to criticize clerics and religious leaders.

BBC

A pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want, but if you wade into political waters, you should expect some political response.

Johnson said he was taken a little bit aback by the pope's remarks that Jesus does not hear the prayers of those with blood on their hands.

The speaker's defense comes just a day after he asked Trump to delete an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure.

Johnson and Vance invoked the concept of just war to defend US actions.

Johnson argued that potentially millions of innocent people will be able to keep their lives.

Forbes

The pope has criticised the war and warned against invoking divine justification for violence.

Vance questioned whether it is valid to claim that God is never on the side of those who use force.

He referenced the Allied liberation of Europe during the Second World War.

Trump's criticism of the pope drew backlash from members of his own party.

“Topline President Donald Trump took another swipe at Pope Leo XIV late on Tuesday night, after Vice President JD Vance—who is a Catholic—expressed disagreement with the Pope’s criticism of America’s war with Iran, highlighting a growing feud between the White House and the Vatican”

Forbes

He posted an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ healing a sick person.

The image triggered widespread condemnation before it was deleted.

Trump later claimed the image portrayed him as a doctor rather than a religious figure.

The BBC reported on Americans reacting to the escalating feud.

The dispute marks a significant moment in the relationship between American conservative politics and the Catholic Church.

Johnson emphasised respect for the papacy while maintaining that such issues are open to debate.

Irish Star

I don't want to engage in a theological debate with the pope, he said.

The involvement of senior political figures has elevated the disagreement into a global political issue.