In today’s update, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding some allegations involving the Trump administration and the Vatican. It seems there’s a significant amount of outrage regarding claims that the administration may have pressured the Vatican and that some Republican candidates are aligning themselves with pro-LGBTQIA sentiments.
On Wednesday, the Free Press stirred quite a reaction among Catholic Twitter with a piece alleging that the Trump administration was attempting to coerce the Vatican into backing a potential conflict with Iran. The article claims that Elbridge Colby, the Undersecretary of the Army for Policy, summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre—who was Pope Leo’s ambassador to the U.S.—to express dissatisfaction with the Pope’s January address, where he urged countries to respect borders and not provoke conflicts.
Colby reportedly warned Cardinal Pierre about the military might of the U.S., hinting that the Catholic Church needed to be on board. The account suggested that tensions rose to a point where a U.S. official made a historical reference to the Avignon Curia, a time when the papacy was under French influence.
While the Vatican embassy confirmed the meeting occurred, they didn’t elaborate on its atmosphere. The Pentagon, however, dismissed the article from the Free Press as “grossly exaggerated and distorted.” Interestingly, Vice President J.D. Vance, who recently converted to Catholicism, expressed a desire to discuss the meeting with Cardinal Pierre, having met him before.
As the story unfolded, doubts began to emerge about its authenticity. J.D. Flynn, editor of the reputable Catholic media outlet The Pillar, mentioned that his team could not verify if any meetings as described had indeed happened, which raised eyebrows. Flynn pointed out that people should not jump to any conclusions, stating simply that confirmation from their sources was lacking.
Further clarification came from Brian Birch, the Nuncio to the Holy See, who spoke directly with Cardinal Pierre and labeled the media portrayal of their meeting as a “hoax.” Birch remarked that he was not surprised by Cardinal Pierre’s assessment, which suggested the encounter had been “frank and cordial,” with no threats implied.
Moreover, Jonathan Liedl, editor-in-chief of the National Catholic Register, highlighted additional inconsistencies in Free Press’s reporting. He noted that the sources cited hadn’t attended the meeting and only received briefings, hinting that sensational claims like the “Avignon Curia activation” could lack context.
The Missouri Republican primary is heating up, with radio host Christ Stigall and math teacher Nathan Willett emerging as the two main contenders to succeed retiring Rep. Sam Graves. Stigall has already received an endorsement from Graves, while conservative factions have targeted Willett as being “woke.” Interestingly, a PAC has been set to launch a six-figure advertising campaign against Willett, criticizing his voting record on LGBTQIA issues during his time on the city council.
Willett has had a complicated relationship with some progressive causes; he had previously opposed Trump’s ban on transgender military members and supported the flying of Pride flags in Kansas City. His ties to a prominent transgender activist were not noted in the PAC’s campaign materials, though these associations raise questions about his stance.
In a surprising turn, Melania Trump made headlines again by addressing the Epstein matter. Her recent public statement condemned those who alleged affairs with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, asserting, “I was not friends with Epstein,” and clarifying that her connection to Trump was merely coincidental at social events.
When reporters received a schedule of Melania’s public engagements, they seemed unaware of her upcoming remarks, which led to some surprise. President Trump had even stated he knew nothing about the planned statements, suggesting somewhat of a disconnect.
On another note, there’s a revival of discussions around airport security with Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth criticising the repeal of the TSA’s shoe removal policy, which many travelers celebrated last year. She labeled the repeal a “reckless act” in light of a DHS report that indicated airport scanners are sometimes inadequate at screening shoes. Duckworth argued that failing to address such security issues could jeopardize safety and called for immediate action to revert the TSA’s decision.
This policy was originally established after an unsuccessful bombing attempt in 2006 when explosives were concealed in shoes.
