From the very start of Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States, GOP presidential candidates and members of Congress have not hesitated to publicly criticize His Holiness. Primarily taking issue with his concerns about climate change and call for the acceptance of immigrants and refugees, a range of high-profile Republicans have earnestly seized any opportunity available to air their grievances.
Here’s what Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, and Steve King had to say:
Huffington Post: Jeb Bush: The Pope Shouldn’t Discuss Climate Change Because ‘He’s Not A Scientist’
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) said he disagrees with Pope Francis’ call to fight climate change and thinks the Pope should not delve into the issue because he “is not a scientist.” “He’s not a scientist, he’s a religious leader,” Bush said, according to a video posted by the Democratic opposition research group American Bridge.
Politico: Trump: Pope is wrong on climate change
Donald Trump is at odds with Pope Francis when it comes to climate change. In his White House address Wednesday, the Pope called climate change “a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation.” Asked whether he agreed with that on CNN’s “New Day,” Trump said no. “I think that clean air is a pressing problem. You want to have clean air, clean water. That’s very important to me, and I’ve won many environmental awards. I am not a believer in climate change,” Trump said.
Houston Chronicle: Ted Cruz calls out Pope Francis over the death penalty
Pope Francis doesn’t like the death penalty, calling every life sacred. Ted Cruz dislikes the Pope’s opinion because he says that same preciousness of life justifies the ultimate punishment for the worst criminals. The Pope’s anti-capital punishment views won’t jibe with what too many Republicans believe. Cruz has voiced his disagreement to Politico shortly after Francis spoke to Congress on Thursday morning.
Huffington Post: Conservatives Dismiss Pope On Climate Change, Warn Of Immigrant ‘Anarchy’
Pope Francis implored Congress to act to combat climate change and to embrace immigrants in his Thursday address to lawmakers. Some conservatives aren’t feeling the spirit. Shortly after the Pope’s speech, Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) told The Huffington Post that climate change is not “settled science,”…Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) praised the Pope for a “very inclusive speech,” but said he didn’t address a key issue in his remarks about welcoming immigrants to the U.S.: the “nation state,” or the idea that countries need to have fixed borders. “If you take those boundaries out, the rule of law gets mixed, it if exists at all, and it results in anarchy,” King said. “We don’t want anarchy. And I don’t think people here want anarchy. And they’re surely trying to get away from anarchy when they’re migrating out of the Middle East.”
The Hill: GOP rep has no regrets about skipping pope’s speech
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) said he has no regrets about skipping Pope Francis’s speech, even though the pontiff spoke little about climate change. Gosar announced last week that he would boycott the speech over his expectation that Francis would focus heavily on climate change and press Congress to take action, something that Gosar disagrees with strongly…“I think I made my point, and I think the point needed to be made,” Gosar said hours after Francis gave his speech, adding that he at no point wished he were in the House chamber.
CNN: Donald Trump vs. the Pope on immigration, climate change
Donald Trump believes Pope Francis’ words on immigration are “beautiful,” but expressed fundamental disagreements with the Pope on how to handle immigrants as well as the need to address climate change…Trump pointed to crimes committed by undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and said America needs to keep undocumented workers from taking jobs from Americans.
The Daily Caller: Republican Rep. Sums Up Opposition To The Pope’s Call For Open Borders
Republican Rep. Steve King responded to Pope Francis’s call for the U.S. not to turn its back on refugees Thursday, saying that a flood of migrants could “sink the lifeboat” that is America.
Published: Sep 25, 2015