Vice President JD Vance was abruptly heckled during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia on Tuesday, April 15. Vance was discussing the United States’ stance in the conflict with Iran and retaliatory airstrikes in the Middle East when someone from the crowd interrupted him.
Vance was referencing remarks by Pope Leo XIV’s condemning war and urging leaders to avoid violence after U.S.-Israel airstrikes when an audience member shouted, “Jesus Christ does not support genocide!”
According to the New York Times, these remarks came in the wake of the brutal backlash against the Trump administration’s negotiation and response to the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28.
According to the UNICEF USA reports, more than 1,800 children have been killed or injured since Feb. 28. 214 children have been reported killed in Iran, 116 in Lebanon, 4 in Israel, and 1 in Kuwait. The number of children who suffered injuries includes more than 1,190 in Iran, 331 in Lebanon, 4 in Israel, and 4 in Bahrain.
“I certainly think the answer is yes—and I agree. Jesus Christ does not support genocide. Whoever yelled that out from the dark, he certainly does not, I think that’s a pretty easy principle,” Vance added.
As the interruption continued, with another attendee shouting claims about children being unalived in the conflict, JD Vance maintained a calm demeanor, smiling and trying to move past the moment.
“Okay, so here’s a guy—let me just say this. First of all, random dude who’s shouting—can I finish my point, and then I’ll respond to what you just shouted? Is that okay? Great,” he said.
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Vance further defended his earlier comments about Pope Leo XIV, who questioned the outcome of the conflict.
He said religious leaders should be aware before commenting publicly on political matters and remain anchored in the truth. And that’s one of the things that I try to do, and it’s certainly something I would expect from the clergy, whether they’re Catholic or Protestant,” the Vice President added.
According to The Daily Mail, JD Vance previously told the reporters at Joint Base Andrews, “I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime.”
The pope initially addressed the media from Vatican City during his Palm Sunday address ahead of Easter on April 5, 2026. He said God does not accept the prayer “of those who wage war” and condemned “the imperialist occupation of the world.”
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Moreover, Donald Trump also criticized the Pope after his Easter Sunday address. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Trump also slammed Pope Leo’s alleged liberal stance, as he further said, ” I don’t like it, I am not a big fan of Pope Leo,” and urged that he should “not cater to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
Afterward, JD Vance addressed the heckler, explaining his views on the relationship between religion and politics
“I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,” he said. “Get more involved, make your voice heard even more. That is how we ultimately take the country back,” he added.
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Lastly, he told the heckler, “You know who the person is who got a peace agreement in Gaza? Donald J. Trump,” Vance said.
“So if you want to complain about what happened in Gaza, why don’t you complain about Joe Biden in the last administration? We’re the administration that solved that problem.”
