Unfit to Print: CATHOLICS ARE FIGHTING AGAIN WHILE DEM TRIES TO REINSTATE DREADED TSA POLICY
Plus: A GOP candidate has a weird pro-LGTBQ history & more
Hey y’all, welcome back to Unfit to Print.
X is blowing up over a story suggesting the Trump admin threatened the Vatican, a GOP congressional candidate appears to be pro-LGBTQIA, & more in today’s newsletter.
Poped Out
Catholic Twitter exploded Wednesday when The Free Press published a story accusing the Trump administration of trying to strongarm the Vatican into supporting its war with Iran.
According to the report, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then Pope Leo’s ambassador to the U.S. The admin was reportedly upset that in January the Pope had in his State of the World address perhaps taken a shot at the U.S. by urging nations not to violate other nations’ borders. Colby allegedly warned Cardinal Pierre that the U.S. had the military power to do whatever it wanted and that the Catholic Church better get on board.
The meeting supposedly intensified, and one U.S. official allegedly invoked the Avignon Papacy, when a series of popes were under the influence of the French Crown.
The Vatican Embassy confirmed the meeting took place but did not offer any details on its tone. The Pentagon described The Free Press’ account as “highly exaggerated and distorted.” Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, said he had not read the report but had met Cardinal Pierre before and would like to talk to him about what may have happened.
As the story made the rounds though, there were signs that it may have indeed been “exaggerated.” JD Flynn, the editor of The Pillar, a well respected Catholic media outlet, said his team had been unable to confirm that the meeting occurred as The Free Press described it.
“That shouldn’t lead anyone to a conclusion of any kind,” Flynn wrote. “Except that your pals down at the pillar haven’t confirmed this report.”
Then Brian Burch, the ambassador to the Holy See, said Thursday afternoon that he spoke directly with Cardinal Pierre.
“As expected, he confirmed that recent media characterizations of his meeting with Undersecretary Colby are ‘fabrications’ that were ‘just invented,’” Burch wrote. “Given the intelligence and seriousness of Mr. Colby, I was likewise not surprised when His Eminence acknowledged there were no threats of any kind in the meeting.”
Burch added that Cardinal Pierre described the meeting as “frank and cordial” and that a threat of Avignon never occurred.
Jonathan Liedl, the managing editor of the National Catholic Register, raised some further red flags in The Free Press’ report.
“None of the sources upon which the story is based were apparently even at the meeting. They were ‘briefed’ on it. So we get little floating nuggets like ‘the Avignon papacy was invoked!’ without needed context,” he wrote in a X thread.
“To confirm dramatic characterizations of the meeting and some alleged reference to Avignon, you certainly should [speak to someone who was there]. If you don’t, it runs the risk of looking like gossip,” he added.
Scoop: LGBTQ GOP
The race to replace retiring Republican Missouri Rep. Sam Graves is shaping up to be a two-person fight between radio host Christ Stigall and math teacher Nathan Willett.
Graves has already endorsed Stigall, and conservative groups are warning that Willett is “woke.”
Come And Take It PAC is launching an ad campaign Friday that runs well into the six figures against Willett, the Daily Caller has exclusively learned.
Willett, the ad states, opposed President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender members of the military and voted to fly pride flags around Kansas City as a member of the city council.
The tweet opposing Trump’s transgender troops ban was sent when Willett was serving as the University of Missouri student body president in 2017.
As a member of the Kansas City City Council, Willett voted to designate June as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and to spend $631,890 on HIV outreach programs — including for transgenders — condom distribution, and promotion of safe sex strategies to gays.
Not mentioned in the ad is Willett’s relationship with prominent transgender activists. Brandon Boulware is a father who testified against legislation that would prevent his son, who identified as a girl, from competing against girls in sports. Boulware and his wife, Jenny, have donated $8700 to Willett’s political campaigns since 2022. Brandon and Willett are also friends on Facebook.
Epstein Files Resurgence?
First lady Melania Trump brought the Epstein Files back to the forefront Thursday by giving a rare public statement rebuking those who claim she had a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility, and respect,” Melania said. “I do not object to their ignorance, but rather, I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation. I’ve never been friends with Epstein. Donald and I were invited to the same parties as Epstein from time to time, since overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach. To be clear, I never had a relationship with Epstein or his accomplice, [Ghislaine] Maxwell.”
She also denied that Epstein introduced her to President Trump, stating the two met by chance at a party.
When the scheduling for Melania’s public appearance was sent to reporters on Wednesday, none seemed to know what she would be speaking about — and apparently, neither did the president.
“Just got off a quick call w President Trump who said he didnt ‘know anything about’ FLOTUS’ statement prior to her on camera appearance, but that he was in a meeting about the war & couldn’t speak further. ‘She didn’t know him,’ he added before hanging up, referring to Epstein,”
MS Now reporter Jacqueline Alemany wrote on X.
No Shoes, Problem
Americans rejoiced when the Department of Homeland Security last year ended the TSA policy requiring travelers to take off their shoes in security lines — and now a Democrat wants to bring it back.
Democratic Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth flagged a DHS report that showed airport scanners can’t always properly screen shoes and called the decision to end the no-shoes policy a “reckless act.”
“Allowing a potentially catastrophic security deficiency to remain in place for seven months and counting betrays TSA’s mission,” she went on. “At a minimum, TSA’s failure to swiftly implement corrective action warrants the immediate withdrawal of Secretary Noem’s reckless and dangerous policy that increases the risk of a terrorist smuggling a dangerous item onto a flight.”
The no-shoe policy was implemented in 2006, five years after an attempted bombing by an individual who smuggled an explosive device in his shoes (the device failed to detonate).
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