Trump Invites Pope Leo To The White House ‘As Soon As He Possibly Can Come’

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have invited Pope Leo XIV to the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told The Daily Wire on Monday.

Leavitt took questions from the press at a 9:00 a.m. briefing, where she responded to The Daily Wire’s question about Vice President JD Vance’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Rome.

“My understanding was it was a good meeting, a productive meeting, and we’re grateful that the vice president did it and that he also went to the Pope’s first mass in Rome,” Leavitt shared.

“I also have an update on that,” the press secretary added, sharing: “The Vice President passed along a letter to the Pope from the President and from the First Lady, extending their warm wishes and inviting him to the White House as soon as he possibly can come.”

Pope Leo and Vance sat down together for a 45-minute one-on-one discussion, after which Rubio joined them. Second Lady Usha Vance and Rubio’s wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, joined the leaders afterward for an exchange of gifts. Vance gifted the Holy Father a Chicago Bears jersey with “Pope Leo XIV” on the back, a gesture towards the pope’s American heritage.

Pope Leo XIV exchanges gifts with Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha (Photo by Simone Risoluti Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Vance also gave the pope “The City of God” and “On Christian Doctrine,” by St. Augustine. Vance chose St. Augustine as his patron saint when he converted to Catholicism, and Pope Leo is the first pope from the Order of St. Augustine.

“This morning in Vatican City, Vice President JD Vance met privately with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV,” the Vice President’s office said in a Monday statement about the visit. “The Pope also held expanded meetings with the Vice President, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the U.S. delegation.”

“Following his meetings with the Pope, the Vice President met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations,” the statement added. “The Vice President and Archbishop Gallagher discussed religious freedom, the persecution of Christians around the world, and the shared commitment of President Trump and Pope Leo XIV to stop the killing in Ukraine and the Middle East.”

Vance met with Zelensky on Sunday in Rome, where the two leaders “discussed their shared goal of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and provided updates on the current state of negotiations for a ceasefire and lasting peace,” according to a readout from the vice president’s office.

Photo courtesy of the Office of the Vice President.