Pope Francis Condemned Both Trump And Kamala Harris, Telling People To Vote For "The Lesser Evil"
The Pope argued that migration is a fundamental right and drew references from the Old Testament, saying, “The stranger, the orphan, and the widow—do not forget this. This is what I think about migrants”.
Pope Francis has criticized both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris for their positions on immigration and abortion, urging American Catholics to “choose the lesser evil” in the upcoming US presidential election.
“Both are against life, whether it is the one who is chasing away migrants or the one that kills children. Both are against life. I cannot decide. I cannot say,” the pope said on his flight back to Rome after a 12-day tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania on Friday, Sept. 13.
He was responding to reporters' questions on providing guidance to American Catholic voters ahead of the election, scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024.
The Pope also stressed that he is not an American citizen and would not be voting in the elections.
Condemning Trump’s anti-immigrant stance and policies, he said, “Expelling migrants, not giving them the possibility of working, not welcoming migrants is a sin. It is grave.”
The Pope argued that migration is a fundamental right and drew references from the Old Testament, saying, “The stranger, the orphan, and the widow—do not forget this. This is what I think about migrants”.
On the other hand, he likened Harris' support for abortion rights to “assassination”.
“Performing an abortion is like killing a human being,” Francis said, reiterating the Catholic Church's firm stance against abortion.“The Church does not allow abortion because it’s killing. It is an assassination.”
As part of his election campaign, Trump has vowed to intensify efforts to deport millions of undocumented immigrants if elected to a second term, suggesting plans for large-scale deportations and not ruling out building detention camps for people awaiting deportation.
Meanwhile, Harris has pledged to sign any new laws from Congress aimed at restoring abortion rights.
When asked whom Americans should vote for, Francis said people must vote and “choose the lesser evil.”
“Who is the lesser evil? That lady (Harris) or that gentleman (Trump)? I don’t know; everyone in conscience (has to) think about it and do this (make a choice),” he added.
The pontiff’s recent remarks were made only days after Trump and Harris participated in their first debate, with polls indicating a close race but Harris still surging ahead.
American Catholics, nearly 52 million in numbers, are often viewed as key swing voters whose votes can significantly impact the outcome of elections.
This is not the first time the Pope has criticized Trump. He previously condemned Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric during the 2016 election, where Trump planned to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and labeled him as “non-Christian.”
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