During his return to Rome from a historic 12-day journey through the Asia-Pacific, Pope Francis expressed strong criticism of U.S. presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, accusing both of being “against life.”
The 87-year-old pontiff, who leads nearly 1.4 billion Roman Catholics worldwide, made these remarks during a candid discussion with journalists aboard the papal plane after visiting countries including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Singapore.
Addressing the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, Pope Francis drew attention to Trump’s harsh immigration policies and Harris’s support for abortion rights. “Both are against life. The one who discards migrants and the one who kills children. Both are against life,” the pope stated.
Donald Trump, seeking a return to the White House, has been vocal about his intent to deport undocumented immigrants. His previous term also saw the conservative reshaping of the U.S. Supreme Court, leading to the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed abortion rights for nearly 50 years. Kamala Harris, who has vowed to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade, has championed women’s reproductive rights throughout her political career.
Pope Francis urged voters to reflect deeply on their choices. “One has to choose the lesser of two evils. Who is the lesser evil? That lady or that gentleman? I don’t know. Everyone must think and make this decision according to their conscience,” he remarked.
The Vatican has long upheld pro-life stances on both abortion and the treatment of migrants, and the pope’s comments reflect the Catholic Church’s consistent advocacy for both issues.
In response to the pope’s remarks, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented that “the pope speaks for himself,” and did not elaborate further, adding that she had not yet spoken to President Joe Biden, himself a practicing Catholic, about the pope’s specific comments regarding the U.S. election.
