JD Vance breaks silence on Donald Trump's criticism of Pope Leo: ‘Sometimes we're going to disagree on public policy issues’

Vice President JD Vance broke his silence and addressed Monday the growing tensions between the White House and the Vatican following President Donald Trump's criticisms of Pope Leo XIV.

During an interview on Bret Baier's "Special Report" program the vice president defended that, although there is a good relationship between the Catholic Church and the Trump administration, it is normal for there to be disagreements on public policy.

Vance also downplayed the drama of the statements from both sidesand framed it within differences that are going to continue to exist.

"Look, when it comes to disagreements with the Vatican, we’re going to have disagreements from time to time. In fact, I think it’s actually a good thing 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. I should say that sometimes we’re going to disagree on matters of public policy. The pope has been critical of our immigration policy, but ultimately, the immigration policy of the United States is set by Donald Trump. The pope is also going to have disagreements on other issues. We can respect the pope. We certainly have a good relationship with the Vatican, but we’re also going to disagree on substantive questions from time to time."

Vance, who also defended President Trump's direct style on social media, further opined on the role of the Vatican in public debate, asserting that the Holy See should focus primarily on religious and moral issues.

"In some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what's going on in the Catholic Church and let the President of the United States stick to dictating American public policy," he sentenced.

Even so, the U.S. vice president, who professes the Catholic religion, insisted that the differences should not be interpreted as a rupture. "But when they're in conflict, they're in conflict. I don't worry about it too much. I think it's a natural thing," he said, downplaying the controversy.

The statements come after Pope Leo XIV questioned Washington's positions on issues such as the war in Iran and immigration policy, prompting a harsh reaction from Trump, who accused him of weakness on security and interfering in political affairs.