President Donald Trump extended congratulations to Robert Francis Prevost following his historic election as the first American-born pope. The 69-year-old Chicago native will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “It’s such an honor to have the first American Pope,” calling it “a great honor for our country” and expressing his eagerness to meet the new pontiff.
However, Pope Leo XIV has not always been supportive of Trump or his administration.
A verified X (formerly Twitter) account associated with the new pope previously shared an article in February that criticized Vice President JD Vance’s interpretation of Christian teachings. The article’s headline read, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, congratulated Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, saying many American Christians will be praying for his leadership.
In April, the same account also reposted a tweet condemning Trump’s immigration policies, quoting a bishop who questioned the moral conscience of those supporting mass deportations.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on the second day of the conclave following the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at the age of 88. His selection was made official by the traditional white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel.
Joe Biden tweeted, “Habemus papam—May God bless Pope Leo XIV of Illinois,” while Barack Obama, also from Chicago, wrote, “Michelle and I congratulate our fellow Chicagoan, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.” Obama described the day as historic and offered prayers for the pope as he begins his spiritual leadership.
