Vice President JD Vance addressed potential tensions between the United States and the Vatican, amid recent disputes between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, during Turning Point USA’s tour stop Tuesday in Athens.
In response to a question asking how he feels as a practicing Catholic also working alongside the president, Vance said it does not bother him.
“The fundamental way I understand my role is I’m trying to take the lessons and moral truths that are rooted in Christianity and apply them to a host of real-world scenarios,” Vance said.
Vance served as the key speaker at Akins Ford Arena. He covered topics ranging from his conversion to Catholicism to the pope to the effects of Christianity on policy in a Q-and-A conversation with Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point USA.
His visit was part of the nationwide campus tour by the conservative political group, and Athens was the second stop on the tour. The event ran from 5-7 p.m., with Vance speaking for just over an hour.
Erika Kirk, Turning Point USA’s CEO, was listed as a speaker for the event, but Vance shared with the crowd that she was unable to attend due to “serious threats” against her.
Christianity played a central role in the evening’s messages with multiple references to God, Jesus and faith. Clothing, accessories and rhetoric from the Turning Point team, attendees and speakers conveyed religious affiliation across nearly every moment of the night.
Vance’s Message of Faith
Vance said he thinks it is a good thing if churches and church leaders do not ignore public policy, as he believes it invites conversation surrounding controversial topics like abortion, immigration and war.
Part of preaching the Gospel is talking about how the Gospel applies today,” Vance said.
Sharing with the crowd that his 6-year-old son was baptized on Easter Sunday this year, Vance supported teachings of the Catholic Church while critiquing others.
In reference to the pope’s recent comments on God not siding with those who wage war, Vance cited just war theory as reason for certain conflicts, using the liberation of Holocaust survivors as a historical example of justification.
“I think it’s very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology,” he said. “One of these issues here is that if you’re going to opine on matters of theology, you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to make sure it’s 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.”
Vance also pushed back on those who describe the Trump administration as “inhumane,” especially on matters of immigration, arguing it is not humane to allow drug and sex traffickers to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
“It is frustrating that some Catholic clergy have attacked mercilessly the Trump administration on immigration,” Vance said.
During this part of the conversation, a man in the crowd yelled out multiple times in disagreement of Vance’s comments.
Jesus does not support genocide,” the man said.
Vance agreed with the man and asked the attendee to give him a moment to finish answering the question. The man was escorted out soon after yelling more phrases to the vice president.
Vance also talked about his upcoming book, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” which he said will be released in June.
Vance said he discarded faith as a kid. He once considered himself an atheist. As he grew older, he began to contemplate the meaning of life.
He talked to a priest who encouraged him to think about how Christianity addresses these topics. Finding agreement with the church’s teachings on topics like sin, morality and the Resurrection of Jesus, Vance said he eventually was baptized and became a “devout Christian.”
Religious Language
Caroline Mattox, a University of Georgia student and chapter president of Turning Point UGA, emphasized religion in her remarks, discussing faith in memoriam of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point.
(Charlie Kirk) faithfully led the way,” Mattox said.
Turning Point includes a faith-based branch that “exists to unite the Church around primary doctrine and to eliminate wokeism from the American pulpit,” according to its website. The page also includes links to share prayer requests and register to their Make Heaven Crowded 2026 Tour.
A video compilation projected at the event shared remarks from multiple people reflecting on how Charlie Kirk impacted their life, political beliefs and faith journeys leading up to his death. They described Charlie Kirk as a “man of faith” and “man of God.”
“He helped me find my religion,” one speaker said. Another emphasized, “He shared his faith publicly.”
Religious Apparel
“I hope that this event can really help inspire people to start following Jesus,” said Michael Stemniski, a Gwinnett Technical College student and event attendee.
Stemniski wore a T-shirt to the event reading, “Crack this! Not drugs,” alongside a depiction of the Bible. His collection of three baseball caps shared messages of “Freedom,” “Make America Great Again” and “Jesus Won.”
Some attendees wore buttons reading, “Freed by Christ,” while another guest’s shirt said, “Here I am Lord, send me” alongside an image of Charlie Kirk. Merchandise available at the event included posters with the phrase “Kingdom Culture” and stickers reading “Make Heaven Crowded.”
Jessie Isaacs is a journalism major and Alexis Derickson is a graduate student in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. This story was produced in the Religion Reporting course.
Story updated April 15 with an additional quote about the pope and theology.
Show Comments (1)
MelTronck
No shots of the empty arena?