Landsman on Trump Portraying God, Picking Fight with Pope: “JD Vance should call this out”

Cincinnati, OH – Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) released the following statement calling on Vice President JD Vance to call out President Trump’s portrayal of God and attack on Pope Leo XIV.

“In the past 48 hours, Donald Trump has portrayed himself as God, which is blasphemy, and picked a fight with the Pope. It’s wrong, and we should say so.

“The last person Trump should ever attack is Pope Leo – the first American-born Pope, whose job is to unify and serve others, and who should be respected as the hugely significant faith leader that he is, and never as a political opponent. 

“Trump and the Pope are allowed to disagree on policy, but this kind of rhetoric is unprecedented and deeply offensive to Catholics and people of faith around the world.

“For many in communities like mine in Southwest Ohio, faith is a central part of our lives. JD Vance should know that. He’s from here. And he has repeatedly said his Catholic faith shapes him. If that’s really true, Vance should have the courage to say when the President of the United States has gone too far. Silence just isn’t acceptable.

“JD Vance should call this out, privately and publicly. People back home are paying attention, and they do not like Trump’s chaos or cruelty. It’s all dangerous and wrong.” 

Congressman Landsman has a master’s in theological studies from the Harvard Divinity School, was the former Director of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives in Ohio, and faith is a major part of his life and drives a great deal of his public service.

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