"Saturday Night Live" is once again under fire for a sketch that many viewers say went too far — this time, suggesting Vice President JD Vance may have had a hand in the death of Pope Francis.
The episode began on a sentimental note, with a Mother’s Day-themed musical number. But the tone quickly shifted when cast member James Austin Johnson took the stage in his recurring parody of President Donald Trump.
"It’s me again, invading all aspects of your life," Johnson said, kicking off a monologue that soon pivoted to recent news of the Catholic Church’s election of Pope Leo XIV — the first American-born pope, hailing from Chicago.
The sketch turned darker when the Trump character joked that Vance may have played a role in Pope Francis’ death. "Otherwise, I’ll have to send JD back to do his thing. Remember last time JD met the pope?" Johnson said, referencing Vance’s Easter Sunday meeting with the pontiff — just one day before Pope Francis passed away.
The show continued to pin global misfortunes on Vance, with the Trump parody quipping, "He’s got the Meidas touch, but for bad things. He meets the pope? Dead. Goes to India? War! Joins my campaign? Trump wins!"
While intended for laughs, the sketch reignited online speculation and conspiracy theories. Even John F. Kennedy’s grandson chimed in on X, writing to his followers, "Okay JD killed the pope."
Vance has not directly addressed the jokes, but did reflect on the Easter meeting with Pope Francis in an interview with Fox News Digital. "I was one of, if not the very last world leader to actually meet with the pope," he said, adding that one of his Catholic staffers was moved to tears during the encounter.
Following Pope Francis’ death, Vance posted on X: "I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul."
The sketch has since drawn criticism from Catholic viewers and others who felt the insinuation crossed a line, especially so close to the pope’s passing.