Vice President JD Vance stepped into the line of fire Monday to address the fallout from a controversial social media post by President Donald Trump. Speaking with Bret Baier on Fox News’ “Special Report,” Vance characterized a viral image of the President as a lighthearted attempt at humor that was simply lost in translation.
The controversy began late Sunday when Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself as Jesus Christ healing a patient. The post, which lacked a caption or context, appeared to have originated on the X account of conservative commentator Nick Adams earlier this month.
The image triggered a wave of condemnation across the political spectrum, including from some of Trump’s fellow Republicans.
When pressed by Baier on how he viewed the post as a practicing Catholic, Vance framed the incident as a sign of the President’s authenticity.
READ: Gonzales Bows Out: Embattled Texas Republican To Retire From Congress As Expulsion Calls Grow
“I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor in that case,” Vance said. “I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media. And I actually think that’s one of the good things about this president is that he’s not filtered. He doesn’t send everything through a communications professional. He actually reaches out directly to the people.”
The digital stir followed a separate Sunday night post in which Trump leveled sharp criticism at Pope Leo XIV. Trump labeled the pontiff “weak” on crime and “terrible” on foreign policy, specifically accusing the Vatican of failing to protect religious freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic when churches faced strict distancing mandates.
Vance downplayed the friction between the administration and the Holy See, describing policy disputes as a routine part of governance.
“When it comes to the disagreements with the Vatican, look, we’re going to have disagreements, Bret, from time to time,” Vance noted. While expressing respect for the Pope, Vance was firm on where the authority lies regarding American law. “The pope has been critical of our immigration policy, but ultimately the immigration policy of the United States is set by Donald Trump.”
READ: Sen. Chuck Schumer Blasts Trump Over ‘Christ-Like’ Image And Attacks On Pope Leo
Pope Leo XIV offered a measured response to the President’s comments on Monday. Speaking to reporters, the pontiff declined to engage in a direct war of words but reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to its religious mission.
“I will not enter into debate. The things that I say are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone. The message of the Gospel is very clear: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,’” the Pope said. He added that he would not “shy away” from his message of reconciliation and the pursuit of peace to avoid war.
By Monday morning, Trump had deleted the image from his Truth Social profile following the surge of public pushback. Vance concluded that while the relationship with the Vatican remains “good,” substantive disagreements on public policy are “totally reasonable” and “not particularly newsworthy.”
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
