Vance says he’s ‘grateful’ for Pope Leo’s statement on not wanting public debate with Trump

The Hill reports that Vice President JD Vance expressed gratitude on Saturday after Pope Leo XIV sought to de-escalate a multi-day dispute with President Trump, with the pontiff stating he did not want to engage in a public debate with the president. The article is bylined and sourced to a major national outlet, though the provided excerpt lacks specific quotes from Vance or details about the nature of the disagreement. Independent news coverage reveals the conflict centered on the pope's statement that Christ's disciples are "never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs"—criticism Vance countered by warning the pope to "be careful" with theology and telling him to "leave politics alone." The reporting frames Vance's response as conciliatory, but independent coverage from The Guardian and The New York Times indicates the Trump administration escalated criticism before this apparent de-escalation, suggesting ongoing theological and political tensions between the administration and the Vatican.