Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pope, Criticizes Trump and Vance on Immigration

Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago was elected Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, becoming the first American to lead the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion followers. Though American, his social media history reveals sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

In a 2018 post, he condemned child separation at the border:
“There is nothing remotely Christian, American, or morally defensible about a policy that takes children away from their parents.”

His final tweet before becoming pope shared a story about a deported immigrant father, asking:
“Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?”

He also challenged Catholic senator JD Vance’s views, sharing an article titled:
“JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”