Trump-Pope Feud: Midterm Risk for Republicans

0:00It's April 16th. This is El Paso News today, your AI-powered local news. President Trump and Pope Leo XIV are in a heated public feud, sparked by Trump's social media blasts, calling the Pope weak on crime and bad. On foreign policy, Noah Apologies from the White House, even after Trump shared images of himself embracing Jesus, pulling one down by posting another. The clash ties into the Pope's strong opposition to the U.S. and Israel's moves against Iran. Sending a massive death tolls if nuke spread, Trump fire back Monday, insisting a nuclear Iran spells disaster for millions, and the Pope's wrong to fight it. Meanwhile, Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, urged the Vatican to stay out of politics, while House Speaker Mike Johnson backed that up, saying religious leaders, inviting pushback when they dive into policy debates. Democrats in Texas, especially Catholic ones, are calling it offensive and shocking, with Reps urging someone to take Trump's phone away.

1:02Political experts worry, this hurts Republicans chasing a slim-house majority in the midterms as Pope Leo pulls way higher than Trump among Americans. And globally, in Texas, where 67% are Christian and 22% Catholic, this could stall Hispanic voters drifting Republican over social. Conservatism and immigration wins along the border. The Pope's also slammed mass deportations, mutting those gains Trump brags about. As midterms heat up, this rift risks cooling turnout among key faith voters, forcing Republicans to navigate faith and politics on a tightrope.