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A 'holy war' inside the White House over religion and Trump's messaging

cultureApr 14, 202611672

Sen. J.D. Vance and Fox host Pete Hegseth are clashing inside the White House over whether President Donald Trump should cast his messaging in explicit Catholic or 'holy war' terms. Vance has invoked his Catholic faith to defend Trump-era policies such as mass deportation and support for a harder line on Iran, while Hegseth urges more confrontational, devotional rhetoric and Trump has amplified faith imagery, including posting an image evoking Jesus. Trump carried Catholic voters by about 20 points in 2024, but polling shows Catholics hold a net -4 approval rating for him, and his public clashes with Pope Leo risk deepening a GOP schism over religion and foreign policy.

Key Highlights

Sen. J.D. Vance and Pete Hegseth are clashing over religious messaging.
Trump posted imagery likening himself to Jesus while escalating attacks on Pope Leo.
Trump won Catholic voters by roughly 20 percentage points in 2024.
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