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Vice President JD Vance has acknowledged that his previous remarks about US Catholic bishops could have been better articulated, following his assertion last year that their stance on immigration might have been financially motivated.
As a Catholic himself, Vance was responding to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) after they openly opposed the Trump administration’s immigration raid policies. He suggested that the bishops’ concerns might be driven more by the potential loss of funding than by genuine humanitarian considerations.
During a January 2025 appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Vance questioned the motives of the USCCB, asking, “When they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We’re going to enforce immigration law. We’re going to protect the American people.”
Over a year later, retired Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the former archbishop of New York, revealed in an interview with EWTN News that Vance had since expressed regret for his comments, admitting they were inappropriate.
While Vance has not specified if he directly apologized to Dolan, he conceded on Wednesday that his earlier statements on immigration might have been overly severe.
Though Vance did not clarify whether he apologized to Dolan, he acknowledged that he likely spoke “too harshly” on the subject of immigration when asked on Wednesday.
“Iâm not saying heâs lying, but I mean, look, sometimes I say things too harshly. I say things too directly,” Vance said in an interview with The Washington Post.
Vance added that he “could have made that comment more carefully without going too hard at” church leadership.
“Iâm sure that I said something like that,” Vance added, “but I donât remember exactly what I said.”
He recalled telling Dolan to “be careful your financial interests and the immigration issue donât actually cloud your judgment,” though he explained the last time he spoke with Dolan “in detail” was six months ago.
Fox News Digital reached out to the USCCB and the Archdiocese of New York for comment.
In the interview, Vance also remarked that there will inevitably be “conflict between the government and the clergy” but that he hopes to come toward it with a “spirit of charity.”
“I also recognize that, you know, I have a different job, and my job is to make sure that the American people are as safe and prosperous as they can be,” Vance said. “And sometimes that means that possibly very good people that the Catholic Church are ministering to, I have to say, âhas that person come into our country legally?â And if not, should we try to do something to change that?’”
Vance met with top Vatican officials regarding their concerns over migrants and deportations last year.
