Vance defends Trump’s Jesus image as ‘joke,’ tells Pope to focus on ‘Catholic Church’ matters
Vice President Vance called the AI-generated image a misunderstood joke and said the Vatican should confine itself to Church affairs rather than weigh in on US immigration policy.
U.S. Vice President JD
Vance delivers remarks to a crowd during the annual March for Life rally on the
National Mall on January 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C.Kevin Dietsch/Getty
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Tue Apr 14, 2026 - 7:34 am EDT
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(LifeSiteNews) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance has defended President Donald Trump’s controversial social media image portraying himself as Jesus as a “joke” and commented that Pope Leo XIV should focus on “what is going on in the Catholic Church.”
On April 14, Vance addressed remarks made by Trump regarding Pope Leo XIV during an interview with Fox News following a controversy over a digitally altered image shared on his platform Truth Social. The president has also sparked broader tensions between the U.S. and the Vatican concerning public policy, immigration, and foreign affairs.
“I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people were not understanding his humor in that case,” Vance said in response to a question about the post and its reception among Catholics.
READ: Donald Trump deletes AI image of himself as Jesus Christ, claims he was ‘a doctor’
The AI-generated image, originally circulated in February by commentator Nick Adams and yesterday reposted with modifications, depicted Trump in a messianic role and dressed like Jesus Christ. It was subsequently deleted by Trump after public backlash, with the president stating that he had initially interpreted the image as portraying him “as a doctor.”
In the same interview, Vance added: “I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media, and I actually think that one of the good things about this president is that he is not filtered.”
Vance also stated that disagreements between the United States and the Vatican should be expected, particularly on matters of public policy. “They are not newsworthy,” he said. Vance referred specifically to differences over immigration policy, noting that Pope Leo XIV has expressed criticism of the current U.S. approach.
“When it comes to the disagreements with the Vatican,” Vance said, “we are going to have disagreements, from time to time. I think it’s a good thing, actually, that the Pope is advocating for the things that he cares about; but we’re always going to have disagreements on matters of public policy.”
However, he maintained that, “ultimately, the immigration policy of the United States is set by Donald Trump,” adding that, “in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what is going on in the Catholic Church, and let the president of United States stick to dictating American public policy. Anyway, when they are in conflict, they are in conflict.”
READ: Trump attacks Pope Leo XIV after Vatican meeting with Obama adviser
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The controversy surrounding the image emerged in the context of a series of public exchanges between Trump and Pope Leo XIV. On April 12, Trump published a statement on Truth Social criticizing the Pope’s positions on crime and foreign policy, as well as his engagement with American political figures. In particular, Trump referenced a meeting held on April 9 at the Vatican between the Pontiff and David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, presenting it as indicative of political alignment.
In that statement, Trump accused the Pope of being “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy,” and criticized what he described as inconsistency in the Church’s conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also questioned the circumstances of Pope Leo XIV’s election in May 2025, suggesting it had political motivations linked to his own presidency.
Pope Leo XIV responded publicly on April 13 while speaking to journalists during a flight from Rome to Algeria. According to reports, the Pontiff stated, “I am not afraid of the Trump administration,” adding that his interventions are grounded in the Gospel and that he would continue to speak against war. He also indicated that he did not intend to engage in a direct debate with the U.S. president.
No official transcript of the April 9 meeting between the Pope and Axelrod has been released, and the Holy See has not provided detailed information regarding the goal and the contents of their discussion.
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- AI
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- Jd Vance
- Leo Xiii
- Pope Leo XIV
- Social Media
- Trump Administration
- truth social
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