When the pope and politics collide: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

Even the new pope has a social media trail. In today’s edition, we look at how his X page provides a window into his views on U.S. political matters. Plus, Bridget Bowman writes that President Donald Trump is looming large over the New Jersey GOP gubernatorial field ahead of next month’s primary.

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— Adam Wollner

When the pope and politics collide

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became the first-ever pope born in the United States. So naturally, domestic politics quickly intervened.

As Rebecca Shabad reports, the new pope’s social media footprint was quickly dissected just minutes after the Chicago native was announced as the new head of the Catholic Church — sparking a mixed reaction from some on the right.

Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Prevost occasionally posted on social media, including some messages that appeared to be critical of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and their worldview. 

His most recent activity on X came in mid-April, when he shared a post on his account from a Catholic commentator who called out Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele for laughing about the deportation of Maryland man Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The post linked to an article published by the Catholic Standard newspaper, in which Bishop Evelio Menjivar asked about Abrego Garcia: “Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?”

In February, Prevost posted links to stories that were critical of Vance, including one from the National Catholic Reporter. Prevost reposted the headline on X: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” In the article, the writer rebutted the vice president’s claim from a Fox News interview that Christians prioritize loving people close to them before those from other countries. 

How Trump and Vance are responding: The two only offered congratulations to the new pope on social media. 

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, posted: “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!”

And Trump wrote: “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!” 

How conservative activists are responding: Laura Loomer published a series of posts decrying the new pope’s politics. 

“He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis,” Loomer, a close Trump ally, wrote on X. “Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to. Just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican.”

Charlie Kirk was more neutral in his reaction. 

“Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,” he said in a video posted on X. “But overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.”

Read more →

New Jersey GOP gubernatorial hopefuls clash in debate as Trump looms over race

By Bridget Bowman

Three Republican candidates for governor in New Jersey ended their hourlong debate Wednesday night with a heated clash over their party’s leader, underscoring how Trump is looming over the fast-approaching primary.

Trump has not yet endorsed a candidate in New Jersey, which is one of two states, along with Virginia, that is holding a governor’s race this year, with both races expected to be competitive. Though Democrats have been successful at the federal level, Trump made significant gains in November. And in 2021, former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli came close to defeating Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who cannot run for re-election due to term limits.

Ciattarelli is now the front-runner for the GOP nomination in New Jersey this time around, and he’s been jockeying for Trump’s endorsement along with former radio host Bill Spadea ahead of the June 10 primary.

Spadea and Ciattarelli sparred over their support for Trump in the final minutes of the debate, hosted by NJ Spotlight News, NJ PBS and WNYC. Spadea said he is the only candidate to have supported Trump from the start, prompting Ciattarelli to shoot back, “That’s a lie.” He challenged Spadea to “fess up,” and Spadea responded that Ciattarelli “disrespected [Trump] for eight years.”

Both candidates met with Trump in late March, and they told Emma Barnett and me last week that they haven’t spoken with him since then. Spadea and Ciattarelli also have some baggage when it comes to supporting Trump, with past comments that have resurfaced in dueling attack ads.

Trump’s actions drove other questions during Thursday’s debate involving cuts to federal programs and due process for undocumented immigrants who are deported. 

That question sparked a fiery exchange between Spadea and state Sen. Jon Bramnick, the more moderate GOP candidate in the race, who has sharply criticized Trump. Bramnick argued that everyone deserves a hearing and the government should not be trusted when it claims someone is a criminal.

“Why do you get due process on the way out if you didn’t get due process on the way in?” Spadea asked, and Bramncik shot back: “Why? Because welcome to America.”

A fourth candidate in the primary, former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario Kranjac, did not qualify for the debate, but he has also been vying for support from the party’s MAGA base.

What to know from the Trump presidency today

• Trump urged Speaker Mike Johnson in a phone call to raise the tax rate on the highest earners, adding a new wrinkle to GOP efforts to pass a massive bill for the president’s agenda.
• The U.S. is working toward finalizing a narrow trade deal with the United Kingdom, Trump said, a small step as the White House pursues an aggressive tariff agenda across the globe.
• Trump’s fight against the Houthis never dealt a crippling blow to the Yemeni militant group, but it has cost America more than $1 billion since March.
• Trump said he was pulling Ed Martin’s nomination for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia after he faced opposition from a key Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. And he’s strongly considering naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro as Martin’s replacement.
• Cameron Hamilton, the acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has been removed from his job.
• The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to allow it to revoke temporary legal status from more than 500,000 immigrants who had been granted it by the Biden administration.

That’s all From the Politics Desk for now. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner and Bridget Bowman.

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