Viewers have slammed Saturday Night Live for implying that JD Vance killed Pope Francis because he died shortly after their awkward meeting at the Vatican.
Pope Francis died on April 21, just a day after an uncomfortable meeting with Vance as he attempted to mend his rocky relationship with the leader of the Catholic church.
The 88-year-old Pontiff and the Vice President had an awkward exchange at the Vatican on Easter Sunday after Francis slammed the Trump administration’s treatment of illegal migrants.
Pope Francis died the next day of a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure, according to the Vatican.
Conspiracy theories quickly spread online that Vance caused the Pope’s death, including by JFK’s grandson, Jack Schlossberg, who wrote on X: ‘Okay JD killed the pope.’
SNL echoed those outlandish claims during its cold open. James Austin Johnson parodied Donald Trump in the skit, claiming that if the new Pope Leo does not bend to his knee, he’ll stick the VP on him.
‘We have an American Pope, Chicago-style, no ketchup. But we like Pope Leo. We hope he does what we want. That’s what you want the Pope to do,’ Johnson’s Trump said.
‘Otherwise, I’ll have to send JD back to do his thing. Remember the last time JD met the pope?
Viewers slammed Saturday Night Live for having James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump (pictured) imply that JD Vance killed Pope Francis in the cold open
Pope Francis died on April 21, just a day after an uncomfortable meeting with Vance at the Vatican on Easter Sunday (pictured)
‘He’s got the Midas touch, but for bad things. He meets the pope? Dead. Goes to India? War! Joins my campaign? Trump wins!’
The sketch doubled down on its attack against Catholicism, likening it to other institutions.
‘We love Catholics,’ Johnson’s Trump said. ‘It’s one of the stronger Christian organizations, along with Salvation Army, and I want to say Chick-fil-A.’
Outraged viewers slammed SNL online, blasting the show for making light of the late Pontiff’s death and spreading conspiracy theories.
‘SNL’s tasteless jab at Pope Francis’ death and JD Vance is a new low for comedy,’ one person said.
‘That is shameful,’ said another. ‘Disgusting display of no manners,’ a third person said.
A fourth person said, ‘That’s a new low—mocking death and spreading nonsense. Proper decency’s gone out the window, hasn’t it?
‘SNL’s mocking of the Pope’s death is crossing a line, but sadly not surprising given their track record of disrespecting Christianity. Guess they think it’s funny to poke at sacred institutions…weird,’ a fifth added.
Others pointed to the sketch as a reason they no longer watch the program, claiming SNL is not funny and should be ashamed for making a joke out of someone’s death.
‘Satire is one thing, BUT this is not satire. It’s MOCKERY of the Catholic Church!’ one person said.
‘SNL was brutally UNfunny about The Pope stuff, and terrible to Judge Jeanine …. Way out of line, and not funny,’ a second person added.
‘I’m actually embarrassed for SNL at this point, because it’s not even that they’re unfunny. I think for me it’s just more that they come off as increasingly desperate? Don’t know, but I really do get cringy vibes from a lot of their skits,’; another said.
‘I haven’t watched SNL for many years for their disgusting, disgraceful, unfunny displays of what they consider humor! To insinuate that our VP Vance had anything to do with the death of the Pope is shameful. A public apology should be given to him and all Catholics immediately,’ a fourth person said.