Trump and Vance Pick a Fight with the Pope
Trump and Vance Pick a Fight with the Pope  
Podcast: Left, Right & Center
Published On: Fri Apr 17 2026
Description: Pope Leo’s call for peace evidently didn’t sit well with President Trump. He lashed out and called the Pope bad for foreign policy, while Vice President JD Vance lectured the pontiff to be careful when opining on matters of theology. The president’s next move in Iran is a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but is it an effective strategy to force negotiations, or could it backfire and possibly embolden China?Also, what Viktor Orban’s fall as Hungary’s leader could tell us about the health of far-right movements.Plus, we chat with Sarah Isgur about her new book that takes us inside the Supreme Court, “Last Branch Standing.” Producer: Leo DuranHost: David Greene Guests:  Mike Dubke, veteran GOP communications strategist and advisor. He was the White House Comms Director under Donald Trump in 2017 - @MikeDubke Mo Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's Institute of Politics and Public Service - @MoElleithee Sarah Isgur, senior editor at The Dispatch - @whignewtons