Topline
Pope Leo XIV, who was elected to the papacy Thursday, reportedly voted in U.S. elections and primaries in the past—including the 2024 general elections—a finding which appears to shed some light on the first American pope’s past political leanings as he takes over as the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV concelebrates Mass with the College of Cardinals inside the Sistine … More
Key Facts
Citing voting records from the Chicago suburb of Will County and other private voter data from pollsters, the New York Times and CBS News reported that the new pope voted most recently in the U.S. election in 2024 by casting an absentee ballot.
Voting data cited by both outlets suggests the Chicago native voted in both parties’ primaries at different times—including presidential election years.
The pope, whose birth name is Robert Francis Prevost, voted in the Republican party’s presidential primaries in 2012 and 2016, and also cast his ballot in the 2014 midterm GOP primaries.
He also voted in the Democratic presidential primary in 2008 and later in the party’s 2010 midterm primaries.
According to CBS News, the pope voted in the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024 general elections, but there is no record of him casting a ballot in the 2016 or 2020 general elections.
The former Illinois voter is not registered as either a Democrat or Republican, as voters in the state are not required to register with any party.
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Has The Pope Said Anything About President Trump?
The pope has not publicly commented on President Donald Trump or his administration. His predecessor, Pope Francis, expressed support for U.S. bishops who “work closely with migrants and refugees,” and criticized the Trump administration’s “mass deportations” by expressing “disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality.” Leo’s brother, John Prevost, told ABC News on Thursday that he believes the new pope will follow Pope Francis and “he will be looking out for the disenfranchised…the poor and…those that don’t have a voice.”
What Do We Know About Alleged Previous Social Media Posts Made By The Pope?
An X account carrying Prevost’s name made multiple posts that were critical of Trump, his immigration policies and comments made by Vice President JD Vance. The account shared a National Catholic Reporter article that criticized Vance’s claim the Bible suggests a hierarchy in who a person chooses to love, with a headline that read “JD Vance is wrong.” The handle also reposted other tweets that were critical of Trump’s use of the phrase “bad hombres” to describe undocumented migrants, his 2017 ban on migrants from several Muslim-majority nations, and the policy of separating children from undocumented parents. Forbes has not independently verified the account’s authenticity and the account hasn’t posted since April 15, when it reposted a tweet criticizing Trump’s handling of the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia. According to the New York Times, the X account was “connected to a phone number and email address believed to be tied to him.” But even if the account was owned by him, it is unclear whether Prevost shared the tweets himself or if they were posted by a staffer.
Tangent
Posts made by the X account named after Prevost triggered anger among some of the president’s most vocal supporters online. Laura Loomer, who has reportedly had close access to Trump and taken credit for high-level firings recently, raged at the posts and claimed the new pope is “anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis. Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to. Just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican.” Another right-wing social media personality, Mike Cernovich, tweeted: “Sorry, Catholics. This new Pope is an open borders globalist.
What Has Trump Said About The New Pope?
Trump himself, however, has not commented on Pope Leo’s purported past criticism of him. In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, the president congratulated the Catholic leader and wrote: “ It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV.”
Further Reading
Pope Leo XIV voted in 2024 U.S. general election — here’s which primaries he’s voted in (CBS News)
Tweets Apparently Showing Pope Leo XIV Criticizing Trump Resurface—Here’s What To Know (Forbes)
Who Is Robert Francis Prevost? What We Know About Pope Leo XIV—The First American Pope. (Forbes)
