President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance drew sharp criticism after posting social-media tributes on Sept. 8 marking the Catholic feast commemorating the birth of the Virgin Mary.
Trump shared an image of a statue identified as “Our Lady Queen of Peace,” a depiction of Mary and the infant Jesus housed in Rome’s Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, on his Truth Social account with the caption, “Happy Birthday Mary, Queen of Peace!” Vance reposted the message on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, adding a crown emoji.
The posts were part of a pattern of religious messaging by the administration aimed at conservative evangelicals and Catholic voters. The Sept. 8 observance — the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary — is celebrated by many Catholics and some other Christian denominations.
Critics responded rapidly on social media, saying the gesture was at odds with the administration’s policy record. Many pointed to the administration’s hard-line immigration measures, including mass detentions and deportations of undocumented immigrants, and argued those actions conflict with Christian teachings on mercy and care for the vulnerable. One user, Jamie Schler, wrote on X that Trump and Vance “literally steal from the poor to give to the super rich” and listed a series of government actions she said harmed children, the elderly and disabled people.
Other commenters targeted Vance’s repost as an act of sycophancy. A separate reply called Vance “the most useless and pathetic politician” and contrasted him with past vice presidential figures. Another user joked that Trump should first “arrest both, separate Jesus from Mary, then deport both.”
Some critics also cited a recent move by the administration to rebrand the Pentagon as the Department of War — announced earlier in the month — as further evidence of an apparent disconnect between the religious sentiment expressed in the posts and the White House’s policy agenda.
Supporters of the president have often cited his outreach to religious voters as politically important, and Trump and his allies have frequently employed religious imagery and language in public communications. The posts on Sept. 8 did not include an extended statement explaining the broader intent behind the tribute, and Trump and Vance did not offer immediate public responses to the criticism in replies to those posts.
The reaction underscores the persistent tensions in American politics when elected officials invoke religious themes while pursuing policy agendas that opponents argue run counter to those faith traditions’ ethical teachings. The debate over the use of religious messaging by political leaders has continued to surface across recent election cycles as both symbolic gestures and policy moves draw scrutiny from voters and faith leaders alike.
Further reporting may clarify whether the tribute will prompt any formal comment from the White House or from faith leaders who support or oppose the administration’s policies.