Athens, Georgia — Fresh from a marathon trip to Pakistan Failed to reach an agreement To finish War with IranVice President J.D. Vance headed to this Georgia college town for a campus tour organized by the conservative Turning Point USA.
But instead of showing young people The energy exploited by the organization To return President Donald Trump to the White House less than two years ago, there was a mostly empty field, awkward questions and unusually sharp criticism.
The event underscored Trump’s difficulty with war-mongering and the complexity of his political fortunes by attacking Pope Leo XIV and posting a meme on social media depicting himself as Jesus.
“I voted for Trump. I’m no longer a Trump supporter,” said Joseph Bircher, a Catholic who said he was glad Liu expressed opposition to war with Iran.
Bircher said the Jesus meme, which the president removed on Monday after A.J Rare conservative backlash, It was a “red flag” indicating Trump’s true character.
“He sees himself as a demagogue or someone worthy of worship,” Bircher said.
CJ Santini, a recent graduate of Liberty University, an evangelical school in Virginia, said he had no opinion on whether Iran was truly close to developing a nuclear weapon and therefore needed to be attacked. But he laughed and shook his head when asked about Trump attacking Liu.
“It’s just stupid. Stupid,” he said, calling it a “distraction” from Trump’s agenda in Iran and at home.
Many of the college-age attendees wore Turning Point gear, Trump hats and red, white and blue gear for the event. However, they were outnumbered more than 2 to 1 by empty seats in what is not even the largest arena on this sprawling campus located about a 90-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.
Vance, a US Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq, acknowledged that not all young conservatives are enamored with another US war in the Middle East.
“I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,” Vance told a crowd of young people. He added: “What I’m saying is not to separate.”
The vice president took questions from Turning Point CEO Andrew Colvitt in place of Erika Kirk, who then began leading the organization Assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk. Colvet said Erica Kirk canceled her plans to appear on stage due to unspecified threats she received.
Vance, whose presence ensured a great deal of Secret Service and other law enforcement protection around the venue, said he was concerned the event would be canceled altogether.
Colvet asked Vance directly about the war and Trump’s differences with Liu. Audience questions were more aggressive. Vance has competed with at least one person regarding the war in Gaza, and was pressured by another person over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.
Among the audience, even some of Vance’s sympathetic listeners offered warnings and criticism.
“The pope needs to stay out of politics,” said Jessie Williams, a Methodist. But he noted that his mother is Catholic, and said he understood why Catholics were repulsed by Trump’s description of the pope as “weak” and his suggestion that the first U.S.-born pope was chosen solely as an opponent of Trump.
Williams called the Trump meme distasteful.
“I don’t like it, but – what can we do?” Williams said. “He’s a grown man. He’ll do what he wants.”
Blake McCullough, a Baptist, said he did not approve of the meme or Trump’s lewd message on Easter Sunday that threatened widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in Iran.
The threat, as well as Trump’s subsequent message that “the entire civilization” will die, It sparked mounting criticism from LiuThe Pope described the president’s comments as “truly unacceptable.”
However, McClaugh said, “You can still be a Republican” despite your disagreement with Trump.
The day before he came to Georgia, Vance tried to mock the meme as a joke that “a lot of people didn’t get.” The vice president also appeared to echo Trump’s assertion that Liu should focus less on world affairs.
“It would be better for the Vatican to stick to the ethical issues, to stick to what is happening in the Catholic Church, and to let the president of the United States dictate American public policy,” Vance said in an interview with Fox News.
On stage in Athens, he changed his arguments, saying he welcomed Liu’s comments even if he disagreed with them.
“At the very least, it invites conversation,” said Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult.
However, Vance questioned Leo again, specifically taking issue with the pope’s Palm Sunday assertion that God does not hear the prayers of those who wage war. Liu was quoting verses from the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. Vance asked if God was on the side of the Allied forces in World War II as they liberated Jewish survivors from Nazi extermination camps.
“I definitely think the answer is yes,” Vance said. When Leo mixes world affairs with complex theology, “it’s very important for the pope to be careful,” Vance said.