PoliticsMAGA Meltdown: Newly Named Pope Leo XIV's 'Woke' Stance on Immigration Ignites Social Media Frenzy
Cardinal Robert Prevost was named the new pope.
Crowned as the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV — formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost — has set the digital world ablaze, drawing sharp criticism from Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters who are less than thrilled with his social media history.
Right after the announcement, social media erupted as religious conservatives questioned the direction of the papacy under the American leader.
The New Pope
The Vatican came to their decision on May 8.
On Thursday, May 8, the Vatican confirmed the Chicago-born Cardinal Prevost as the first American pope, a momentous occasion for the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
"You can’t change blood ties," Reverend Michele Falcone noted in a May 2 interview, underscoring Leo's approach as a “dignified middle of the road” compared to the more inclusive views of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Pope Leo XIV shared pro-immigration views on X.
Known for expressing progressive stances, Leo has reshared content that sharply criticizes former President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.
In 2015, he amplified a story from The Washington Post that called Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric “problematic.”
Two years later, he echoed Sister Helen Prejean’s words of support for Dreamers, tweeting: “I stand with the #Dreamers and all people who are working toward an immigration system that is fair, just, and moral.”
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Inside the Backlash
Political strategist Joey Mannarino did not hold back, labeling the new pope as "woke" and a "liberal piece of [s---]” in a snarky post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Laura Loomer, an outspoken analyst and unofficial advisor of President Donald Trump, chimed in after the new pope was announced and went on a tirade on X.
The self-proclaimed "white nationalist" wrote, "THIS IS THE NEW POPE! His name is Robert Prevost. He’s the first American Pope. He is anti-Trump, anti-MAGA, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis. Catholics don’t have anything good to look forward to. Just another Marxist puppet in the Vatican."
“The new Pope once retweeted a post about how we need to keep praying for career criminal & drug addict George Floyd. The tweet said, ‘May all hatred, violence and prejudice be eradicated.’ What prejudice? Is that another way to spell FENTANYL OVERDOSE? MARXIST POPE! @drprevost,” she added.
Conservatives attacked Pope Leo XIV on social media.
Other right-wing voices online, such as Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist, also voiced their concern about the direction the Catholic Church is taking with their new pope.
Davis shared: "According to his X/Twitter feed (@drprevost), the newly selected pope trashed Trump, trashed Vance, trashed border enforcement, endorsed DREAMer-style illegal immigration, repeatedly praised and honored George Floyd, and endorsed a Democrat senator’s call for more gun control."
Conservative podcast host Megyn Kelly asked her followers on X: "Is it too much to hope that some 20-year-old ran the new pope’s X account and he never looked at it?"
