Robert Prevost, recently elected as Pope Leo XIV and the first American to hold the papacy, appears to have previously shared social media posts critical of Vice President JD Vance and former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. While the posts align with the views of his predecessor, Pope Francis, they could potentially create tension with the current administration.
An account on X (formerly Twitter), appearing under Prevost’s name, did not feature original commentary but instead amplified articles and headlines from other sources. CNN reached out to the Vatican, the X platform, and associates of Prevost but has not yet confirmed whether the account is officially linked to the new pope.
Trump, for his part, expressed enthusiasm about Prevost’s election, telling reporters Thursday he was “very happy” with the news. It’s unclear whether he or the White House had been made aware of the critical posts. The White House declined to comment, while Vance’s office pointed to a prior congratulatory message he posted on X.
Some of the reposts highlighted past criticisms of Vance’s statements, such as his claim that the far left prioritizes migrants over American citizens. One repost also referenced the Trump administration’s controversial deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant who was sent back to El Salvador and imprisoned. A U.S. judge has since ordered that Abrego Garcia be allowed to return.
On April 14, the account shared an article about the case alongside a piece by Auxiliary Bishop Evelio Menjivar of Washington, D.C., who wrote: “The federal government has pursued a ‘shock and awe’ campaign of aggressive threats and highly visible operations of questionable legality that go far beyond mere immigration ‘enforcement.’”
Earlier, on February 13, the account shared a letter from former Pope Francis condemning mass deportations under the Trump administration. The letter argued that deporting people fleeing poverty and violence undermines human dignity. Francis emphasized the importance of treating all individuals with respect, especially the most vulnerable, while acknowledging the need for orderly and lawful immigration policies.
Another repost from February 3 amplified criticism of Vance’s comments during a Fox News interview, in which he said the far left seems to “hate” American citizens and overly sympathize with migrants. An article shared by the account, written by Kat Armas for the National Catholic Reporter, argued that Vance’s views promote the idea that some people are more worthy of compassion than others. The headline read: “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
Vance had met with Pope Francis in Italy shortly before the pope’s death.
The reposts date back several years. In 2015, the account shared an opinion piece by Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticizing Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric during his first presidential campaign. And in 2016, it reposted an article critical of Hillary Clinton, accusing her of alienating voters through the Democratic Party’s stance on abortion.
The account in question was created in 2011 and remained relatively obscure until recently, mostly sharing articles rather than original posts. On Thursday, its follower count jumped from under 800 to over 232,000.
