Former Representative Liz Cheney took a swipe at President Donald Trump as she welcomed the election of a new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV.
Although the former GOP congresswoman from Wyoming did not explicitly mention the president, it was apparent that she was describing Trump as “an American man of depraved cruelty, corruption, and shame” in an X, formerly Twitter post, on Friday.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Cheney became one of Trump’s most prominent conservative critics following the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. She voted to impeach Trump, along with nine other House Republicans, afterward.
The prominent Republican, a daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, endorsed and campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Trump has frequently slammed Cheney as a result of her opposition, even saying she should be jailed.
What to Know
Pope Leo XIV was officially elected by the Conclave of Cardinals at the Vatican on Thursday. The new pope, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, is the first U.S. citizen to be elected to be the head of the Catholic Church.
Cheney offered her praise of the new pope on X, while using the post to rebuke Trump as well.
“In an era that looked as if it might be defined by an American man of depraved cruelty, corruption, and shame, what a magnificent thing the Catholic Church has done. The elevation of an American man of goodness, grace, humility, mercy, and faith to the Throne of St. Peter is moving and momentous for us all,” she wrote.
In an era that looked as if it might be defined by an American man of depraved cruelty, corruption, and shame, what a magnificent thing the Catholic Church has done. The elevation of an American man of goodness, grace, humility, mercy, and faith to the Throne of St. Peter is…
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 9, 2025
Liz Cheney’s Opposition to Donald Trump
While Cheney was largely aligned and supportive of Trump throughout his first term, she turned against him in the wake of his 2020 election defeat as he promoted unfounded claims that the results were “rigged” due to widespread voter fraud.
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump’s supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol, believing, as the president claimed, that the election was stolen. While the riot temporarily delayed the 2020 election’s formal certification, Joe Biden was inevitably confirmed as the winner in a joint session of Congress.
During his first term, Trump was impeached on January 13, 2021, by the House, with Cheney backing the effort. The Senate ultimately acquitted Trump, falling short of the two-thirds majority required for a conviction. However, a majority of senators, including five Republicans, voted to convict, with the final tally 57-43.
Cheney went on to be one of two Republicans who served on the House select committee that carried out an investigation of the events of January 6, as well as Trump’s alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In response, Trump backed a primary challenger, to whom Cheney lost in the 2022 midterms.
The president previously said Cheney should be jailed for her stand against him. He has threatened to target her and others involved with the January 6 investigation, but former President Biden issued a preemptive pardon for her and the other involved lawmakers right before leaving office in January.
“We have been pardoned today not for breaking the law but for upholding it,” Cheney said in a joint statement with other January 6 committee members after she was pardoned.
Saul Loeb/Anna Moneymake/AFP via Getty Images
New Pope Appears to Be at Odds With Trump Admin
As a cardinal, Leo XIV maintained an X account that sometimes reshared content critical of Trump administration policies.
In April, he reposted a commentary that criticized a Trump meeting with El Salvador President Nayib Bukele about deportation logistics.
Prior to that, in February, Leo XIV reposted an article headlined, “JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn’t ask us to rank our love for others.”
The article, an opinion piece from the National Catholic Reporter, focused on a comment the vice president made during a Fox News interview on January 29.
At the time, Vance said: “There’s this old school—and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way—that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens and your own country, and then after that you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world.”
Pope Leo XIV’s brother, John Prevost, told The New York Times that he is “not happy with what’s going on with immigration.”
Describing his brother, Prevost told the Times: “The best way I could describe him right now is that he will be following in Francis’ footsteps. They were very good friends. They knew each other before he was pope, before my brother even was bishop.”
Pope Francis clashed with Trump and Vance, particularly over immigration.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump’s response to new pope’s election on Truth Social on Thursday: “Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”
Trump to NBC News’ Meet the Press in December on Cheney and the other January 6 committee members: “Honestly, they should go to jail.”
Vice President JD Vance’s response to new pope’s election on X: “Congratulations to Leo XIV, the first American Pope, on his election! I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!”
What Happens Next?
Cheney continues to appear as a speaker at various events, sharing her views on Trump and other political issues. While she does not currently hold any elected office, she said during a May 1 event in Alaska that she’s not “ruling out” a future political run.