Vice President Vance has been told he is “very lucky” to have held a meeting with Pope Francis just a day before his death.
Speaking on GB News, political commentator Laurie Laird claimed the discussion lasted just 17 minutes.
It came a day before the Head of the Roman Catholic Church died at the age of 88, sparking a flurry of tributes.
While Pope Francis was deeply critical of President Trump’s approach to border issues in America, his vice president is said to have exchanged pleasantries with the pontiff during his final hours.
JD Vance has been told he is 'very lucky'
GB NEWS / REUTERS
Laird told GB News: “He wasn’t all that well. JD Vance had spent the previous day communicating with people close to the Pope and he was very lucky to get that brief meeting with the Pope.
“He was only in the facility for 17 minutes. They did explain some pleasantries, the Pope gave him some Easter Eggs and a Vatican tie.
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Pope Francis received JD Vance just before his deathReuters.“It’s very poignant that JD Vance is one of the very last people the Pope had any communication with - it’s quite remarkable.”
GB News’s Charlie Peters highlighted that the pair are said to have exchanged opinions, which was to be expected given their differing positions on the political spectrum.
“Pope Francis was outspoken about some of the things happening politically in the US”, Laird said.
“Particularly over the past couple of months - but he was also critical of Trump’s immigration policies in 2017.
Laurie Laird joined Charlie Peters and Emily Carver on GB News
GB NEWS
“He called it a disgrace, a pretty harsh term for someone outside. He said it’s robbing American men and women of dignity.
“He really raised his concerns about this immigration policy. Vance and Pope Francis were coming from different positions and Pope Francis made immigrants at the heart of his papacy.
“This is a very important point going forward. While Pope Francis was very popular in the US, that does kind of obscure some of the fights going on down in the Catholic religion.”
The pontiff passed away at his residence in the Vatican's Casa Santa Marta at 7:35 this morning.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell issued a statement saying: "Dear brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis."
"His whole life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage and universal love, especially in favour of the poorest and most marginalised," Farrell continued.
The pope's death came just hours after his final public appearance on Easter Sunday.
He had appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Sunday, April 20, to wish the gathered crowd a happy Easter.
Despite his health struggles, Francis had recovered enough to appear in front of crowds at St Peter's Square for the Easter celebrations.
The pontiff had even met with US Vice President JD Vance less than 24 hours before his death.
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