“Graham is kidding of course and simply trolling,” wrote author Edward Savio. “But here’s the thing, it shows how little they care about religion or God or the millions of Catholics mourning the death of the Pope. It’s an example of how shallow Lindsey is. Oh and Trump probably doesn’t realize it’s a joke.”
Former State Department official Patrick Granfield characterized Lindsey’s post as “sick” and “offensive.”
“Aside from allowing individuals to be sent to a gulag without due process, perhaps the most Anti-Catholic thing he’ll do all week,” Granfield wrote, referring to Trump.
The Trump administration had a somewhat tenuous relationship with Pope Francis, who strongly advocated for the rights of migrants and people struggling with poverty.
In February, Francis appeared to correct Vice President J.D. Vance, a practicing Catholic, on his understanding of “ordo amoris,” a theological principle Vance used to justify the Trump administration’s hard line on immigration.
Nevertheless, Vance was one of the last world leaders to have an audience with the pope before his death.
Last week, President Trump was in attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral. However, he was criticized for wearing a bright blue suit rather than a black suit. He was also accused of dozing off during the funeral—apparently falsely so.
Following the funeral, Trump said that he attended the funeral “out of respect.”
“I won the Catholic vote,” Trump added. “And I think that’s the first time that ever happened for a Republican to win the vote. And I won it by a lot.”
“And I have a great relationship to the Catholics. Very simple,” Trump said with a smile. “But I won the Catholic vote.”
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Nevertheless, not everyone in the Republican party has sought to express respect for the late pope. On the day of Francis’ death, U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene posted, “Today there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God.”
