Tensions between the Trump administration and the Vatican took another awkward turn last Wednesday when Vice President JD Vance failed to recognize the name of Cardinal Christophe Pierre during a press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on April 8, 2026.
The 41-year-old vice president was fielding questions about a Free Press report alleging that Pentagon officials had summoned Cardinal Pierre to a January meeting where they threatened the Vatican with America’s military might. When reporters mentioned the cardinal by name, Vance drew a blank.
“Who?!” Vance responded, before adding, “With no disrespect to the cardinal, I don’t know who Cardinal Christophe Pierre is.”
Once a reporter explained that Pierre had been the Holy See’s ambassador to the United States from 2016 until his resignation in March, Vance quickly corrected himself: “Oh, okay, okay, I do. I’ve met him before. Sorry. I just didn’t remember the name.”
The blunder proved particularly damaging for Vance, whose Catholic identity has become central to his political brand. The viral moment spread rapidly across social media, with critics questioning the authenticity of his faith and his fitness for office.
Vance converted to Catholicism in August 2019 after being raised in a loosely evangelical, non-denominational tradition. He was received into the Church by Dominican priest Father Henry Stephan at St. Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati and chose St. Augustine as his patron saint. He identified as an atheist during his college years before finding his way back to faith.
The gaffe adds to a string of religious missteps by the vice president. Earlier this month, he announced his upcoming memoir “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith” with a cover featuring Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Elk Creek, Virginia—despite the 304-page book chronicling his conversion to Catholicism. The small congregation averages 17 worshippers on Sundays.
The Methodist church gaffe drew sharp criticism from religious commentators, with the National Catholic Reporter having previously called his Catholicism “little more than a political prop.”
The Free Press report that prompted reporters’ questions alleged that Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Pierre to a meeting on January 22 where Pentagon officials invoked the 14th century Avignon Papacy—a period when the French monarchy used military force to dominate papal authority—and told the Vatican that America “has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world.”
A Department of Defense spokesperson disputed the characterization, calling it “highly exaggerated and distorted.” The spokesperson insisted the meeting was “a respectful and reasonable discussion” and that the Pentagon maintains “nothing but the highest regard” for the Holy See.
When asked about the allegations during Wednesday’s press conference, Vance declined to comment substantively. “I’ve never seen this reporting. I’d like to actually talk to Cardinal Christophe Pierre and, frankly, to our people to figure out what actually happened,” he said. “I think it’s always a bad idea to offer an opinion on stories that are unconfirmed and uncorroborated.”
The alleged threats reportedly contributed to the cancellation of a planned papal visit to the United States for the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations. Instead, Pope Leo XIV will travel to Lampedusa on July 4—a tiny Mediterranean island where North African migrants arrive by the thousands seeking refuge in Europe. The deliberate choice of date was not lost on Vatican observers.
The situation underscores the worsening relations between the Trump administration and the Vatican. Pope Leo XIV has emerged as one of the administration’s most prominent religious critics, speaking out against policies on immigration, military action, and humanitarian issues—and the White House has punched back. On Sunday, President Trump denounced the pope as “very liberal” and suggested he should “stop catering to the Radical Left.”
The Chicago-born pope has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration over its deportation agenda, support for Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, and threats against Iran. Last week, Pope Leo responded to President Donald Trump’s warning that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran failed to meet U.S. demands. “This is truly unacceptable,” the pope declared to reporters outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo.
