It seems that Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, has previously condemned President Donald Trump’s border policies and deportations long before his historic election on Thursday, May 8.
MAGA maniacs have taken to social media to drag him, bypassing that he is considered the highest-ranking minister in the Catholic Church. Others have defended the new pope, claiming his views are close to Jesus — further suggesting that those following the POTUS care more about him than they do their Lord and Savior.
The timing comes just days after Trump’s White House and personal social media accounts sparked outrage by posting an AI-generated image of himself dressed as pope following Pope Francis’ funeral.
The 69-year-old cardinal, who spent much of his career as a missionary in Latin America and even became a naturalized citizen of Peru, was elected Thursday to lead the world’s 1.41 billion Catholics.
“Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?” reads an April 14 retweet from an account linked to the new pontiff, criticizing the Trump administration’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father of three, to El Salvador in spite of a court order forbidding the move.
As Trump & Bukele use Oval to 🤣 Feds’ illicit deportation of a US resident (https://t.co/t80iDMbBKf), once an undoc-ed Salvadorean himself, now-DC Aux +Evelio asks, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?” https://t.co/jTradMfr0v
— Rocco Palmo (@roccopalmo) April 14, 2025
The account, believed to be connected to Cardinal Prevost through a phone number and email address, has shared numerous articles challenging Vice President JD Vance’s stance on immigration.
One article was titled “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
The account also tweeted on Feb. 13, “Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration,” a direct challenge to the Trump/Vance immigration policy.
Pope Francis’ letter, JD Vance’s ‘ordo amoris’ and what the Gospel asks of all of us on immigration https://t.co/Ikk8gqOMzn
— Robert Prevost (@drprevost) February 13, 2025
He actually has a robust history of criticizing both Trump and Vance.
The revelation of these posts has provoked passionate reactions from Trump supporters on the Daily Mail.
The new Pope didn't post once in 2024. In 2025, he posted 5 times:
— Aaron Reichlin-Melnick (@ReichlinMelnick) May 8, 2025
– Criticized JD Vance's take on Jesus
– Posted article critiquing Vance's statements on deportation policies
– Retweeted the Pope's health twice
– Retweeted criticism of Trump & Bukele's laughter at Abrego Garcia https://t.co/nrME9wd2la pic.twitter.com/RwEOEUO9ZG
“Woke pope. Clearly a political appointment by left learning catholics pushing an agenda and has nothing to do with religion. So sick of woke popes,” wrote one commenter.
Another comment read, “According to MAGA, decent, caring & accepting = Woke. Unbelievable.”
Despite the apparent differences in their views on immigration, both President Trump and Vice President Vance publicly congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his historic election.
“Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!” Trump posted on social media.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"… pic.twitter.com/q6kNcSOqAT
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 8, 2025
Vice President Vance added his own congratulations, “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
If Trump followers are upset about his tweet, they probably have not noted another controversy.
The pope has recently garnered attention for his diverse ancestry, including Haitian roots.
Ahead of the previous Pope’s funeral, one person predicted, “Now that Pope Francis is dead are we getting a black pope anytime soon to replace him. May his soul rest in peace.”
Genealogical research indicates that his maternal grandfather, Joseph Martínez Ramos, was born in Haiti, as noted in the 1900 U.S. Census, and later resided in New Orleans’ Seventh Ward, a historically Creole neighborhood.
This revelation has sparked pride among Black Catholics and the Haitian community, who affectionately refer to him as the “7th Ward Pope,” as well as jokes.
Some of the reactions clapped back at the right-wingers, with one reading, “Plus the new POPE has Black ancestry…is that MAGA I hear screaming.”
Two others said, “The Pope got some black in him” and “& ion care how light he is, yall pope is black!”
After denouncing him last week, The View's race baiter, Sunny Hostin does a 180-flip-flop on Pope Leo once she found out of his black ancestry:
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) May 12, 2025
"As it turns out, our new American pope has Haitian and black roots! So, we actually have a black pope! … It's a chef's kiss for me… pic.twitter.com/EYzfI7jbYR
The controversy comes on the heels of another papal-related incident involving Trump.
Days after attending Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, the president posted an AI-generated image depicting himself dressed in full papal regalia on his Truth Social account. The White House then reposted the image on its official X platform, drawing swift condemnation.
