Is Robert Francis Prevost the most progressive Pope? His views on Trump's policies spark debate

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected pope on May 8 — the first American in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. The 69-year-old took the name Pope Leo XIV.

Leo XIV has spent years amplifying criticism of President Trump’s policies on social media — with the Catholic Church’s first American leader taking particular aim at the Republican’s hardline immigration stance. His past remarks and affiliations provide a window into some of his views — particularly around immigration and climate change.

Here are ten things you need to know:

-Leo XIV, until last week, shared or retweeted the opinions of colleagues using his verified account @drprevost on X, formerly known as Twitter. The election of Pope Leo XIV has added a new dynamic to the intersection of religion and politics in the United States.

His last post on X before being elected by the conclave in the Sistine Chapel was a retweet of a message from Philadelphia-based Catholic commentator Rocco Palmo. The post on April 14 slammed Trump’s partnership with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele on deportation of illegal migrants.

-“As Trump & Bukele use Oval to [laugh emoji] Feds’ illicit deportation of a US resident… once an undoc-ed Salvadorean himself, now-DC [auxiliary bishop] Evelio [Menjivar] asks, ‘Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?'” the tweet reads.

-In some matters, Leo XIV has aligned ideologically with his predecessor, Pope Francis, especially on the treatment of immigrants and the environment. Earlier this year, Francis criticized Trump's administration over its immigration agenda, which includes mass deportations.

-On Feb. 3, Prevost shared a link to a National Catholic Reporter article headlined “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.” Prevost was also an active participant in US political discussion during Trump’s first term — in 2017 retweeting a post from Palmo that said, “Calling refugee bans ‘a dark hour of US history,’ [Chicago Archbishop] Blase [Cupich] says ‘the world is watching as we abandon our commitment to American values’.”

-Also in January 2017, the new pope retweeted a message from Jesuit priest James Martin, who wrote: “We’re banning all Syrian refugees? The men, women and children who *most* need help? What an immoral nation we are becoming. Jesus weeps.”

-The same year, he shared a message that reads, “Saying Trump’s ‘bad hombres’ line fuels ‘racism and nativism,’ Cali bishops send preemptive blast on DACA repeal.”

-In October 2017, Prevost retweeted a call for new US gun control from Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) after a gunman murdered 60 people in Las Vegas. “To my colleagues: your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it,” Murphy wrote.

-Back in 2018, social media action shows Pope Leo XIV reposted a statement from Cardinal Blase Cupich, where he criticized the Trump administration's policies on separating families, per CBS News. The outlet also reported that in 2015, he reposted an article from Cardinal Timothy Dolan titled, "Why Donald Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric is so problematic."

-Pope Leo XIV's brother, John Prevost, told The New York Times that he is "not happy with what's going on with immigration." Describing his brother, Prevost told the Times: "The best way I could describe him right now is that he will be following in Francis' footsteps. They were very good friends. They knew each other before he was pope, before my brother even was bishop."

Trump on new Pope

President Trump responded to the pope's election with praise. "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," he wrote on Truth Social. "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. It will be a very meaningful moment!

However, when the pope's criticism of the Trump administration came up during a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt deflected a question. After being asked about Prevost's remarks, Leavitt said: "The president made his reaction to Pope Leo's announcement yesterday very clear. He is very proud to have an American pope. It's a great thing for the United States of America and the world, and we're praying for him."

His remarks were in contrast to reactions from his political base. While Trump celebrated the milestone, far-right figures like Laura Loomer said: "The new Pope @drprevost supports illegal aliens and open borders. He retweeted tweets in support of 'dreamers' aka illegals and attacked President Trump's use of the phrase 'bad hombres' to describe violent illegal aliens. He thinks it's a 'racist' phrase."

Vice President JD Vance took a more measured tone, saying on X: "Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election!"