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Will JVL Survive These Focus Groups of Catholic Voters? | The Focus Group

2026-04-18 News & Politics
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Description

Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV are probably the two most prominent Americans in the world right now, and they're fighting. So we asked American Catholics (including those who voted for Trump) what they thought of their feud, and about Trump's Truth Social Post depicting himself as Jesus. JVL returns to the show with some choice words for some of his fellow Catholics, and discusses the role the Catholic Church has played in American politics more broadly. Check out 'The Context', from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation: https://kettering.org/thecontext/ Get tickets to The Bulwark's May live shows in San Diego and Los Angeles! https://thebulwark.com/events Become a Bulwark Youtube Plus Member here - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG4Hp1KbGw4e02N7FpPXDgQ/join Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:07:18 Catholics and politics 00:14:26 Faith and public life 00:24:28 Pope Leo and Trump 00:32:04 JD Vance and Catholic identity 00:44:37 Trump vs. the Pope 00:57:02 The Jesus image 01:03:31 Wrap Up

Top Comments (10)

@michelleappenheimer4670 2026-04-18

Why is this a surprise? Republicans gave up Jesus for Trump years ago.

787 37 replies
@cindy_kbt 2026-04-18

OMG! The delusion to think that Trump has ever told the truth.

445 13 replies
@BillHallisey 2026-04-18

Jimmy Carter, a Baptist, during his acceptance speech of the Nobel Peace Prize said, "War is always evil. Sometimes it may be necessary, but it's always evil."

322 5 replies
@LindaHarmes 2026-04-18

I love the question JVL asked, “How has immigration hurt you?” Here in California, our economy would cease to exist if it wasn’t for immigration.

303 12 replies
@pamelaponi3529 2026-04-18

"we like him because he does what he wants" is not something that should ever be said about a president if you know the Constitution.

209 5 replies
@kathitroy4768 2026-04-18

For those saying that Pope Leo is too involved in politics, maybe they should consider the fact that our president has chosen to literally present himself as Jesus. That’s pure blasphemy. The Pope has the right and obligation to defend the church’s doctrine.

183 10 replies
@TravisHRF16CC 2026-04-18

Choosing Donny over Leo when scripture is discussed kinda means you’ve abandoned your Catholicism.

161 5 replies
@cmk1626 2026-04-18

Religious people are showing that, for many, it was never about religious beliefs. It was always about power, control, grievance, and force.

119 5 replies
@maryt8600 2026-04-18

Every time I come onto this focus group I grow more and more dismayed at the lack of historical knowledge that is inherent with Americans.

45 1 replies
@SeriouslyJaded 2026-04-18

The responses of these supposed catholics is testament to how broken American society is.

43

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