Watters on the Pope: “Zero Impact” on U.S. Politics
Hold onto your coffee mugs, because Auntie’s jittery mind is racing after catching Jesse Watters insist that Pope Francis’s political leanings won’t rock the American boat! On May 23, 2025, during a segment on Fox News, conservative commentator Jesse Watters told viewers that despite Pope Francis’s progressive remarks on immigration and climate change—made public in his April 2025 encyclical—Americans can breathe easy. According to Watters, “Our constitution stands separate from Vatican memos,” and “no matter how many times the Pope tweets or briefs the press, U.S. policymakers have their own marching orders.”
Watters cited historical precedent—referencing the 1960 election coverage of John F. Kennedy—to argue that religious figures don’t sway American elections. (Source: Fox News transcript, May 23, 2025.) He also pointed out that past papal commentary on social issues—like Pope John Paul II’s anti-communism speeches—didn’t alter U.S. domestic agendas. If you ask Auntie, that’s a neat way to sidestep any cross-Atlantic drama.
Meanwhile, Vatican insiders aren’t exactly nodding along. According to a Reuters dispatch, behind closed doors some cardinals believe the Pope’s moral authority carries weight—especially among Catholic voters in swing states. And People Magazine notes that over 70 million U.S. adults identify as Catholic, a bloc that typically influences midterm turnout. Could Watters be underestimating the pulpit’s pull?
In his rapid-fire spiel, Watters quipped, “One man’s homily isn’t a bill in Congress,” then dashed off to the next talking point. He even scoffed at media outlets that dived into “papal pressure panic,” branding such coverage as sensational fluff. (Source: TMZ, May 25, 2025.) Of course, Auntie can’t help but wonder: is this bravado or a clever dodge to keep viewers focused on domestic squabbles rather than global moral leadership?
Political analysts like Dr. Maria Santos of Georgetown University weighed in for The Scottish Sun, suggesting that while the Pope can’t pass laws in D.C., his pronouncements on social justice frequently fuel grassroots campaigns—and those letters to editors eventually do find their way to Capitol Hill. So is it really “zero impact,” or just a slow burn?
Either way, this caffeine-fueled aunt is convinced you’ll be hearing “Pope versus politicians” chatter for weeks to come. I swear, I could talk about this all day—time for another double-shot espresso before the next hot take bubbles up!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Fox News transcript (May 23, 2025); Reuters; People Magazine; TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
