Pope wades into Trump-Harris battle, urges voters to pick ‘lesser evil’

Pope Francis said Friday that American Catholics should pick a presidential candidate who represents a “lesser evil” to them, according to The Associated Press.

“One should vote, and choose the lesser evil,” Francis said, per the AP, while on his plane. “Who is the lesser evil, the woman or man? I don’t know.“

The pope also stated that Vice President Harris and former President Trump “are against life, be it the one who kicks out migrants, or be it the one who kills babies,” the AP reported.

Stances on abortion and immigration were featured prominently in Tuesday’s presidential debate. Harris went after Trump when it came to his abortion policy, saying if Congress passed a bill to codify Roe v. Wade, she would sign it.

“Pregnant women who want to carry a pregnancy to term, suffering from a miscarriage, being denied care in an emergency room because their health care providers are afraid they might go to jail, and she’s bleeding out in a car in the parking lot — she didn’t want that. Her husband didn’t want that,” Harris said.

Immigration was also a major battleground in the debate, with Trump criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the border. Trump also made reference in the debate to an untrue allegation about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets.

“What they have done to our country by allowing these millions and millions of people to come into our country — and look at what’s happening to the towns [in the] United States, a lot of towns don’t want to talk. Not going to be Aurora [or] Springfield. A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they’re so embarrassed by it. In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs.”

In response to Pope Francis’s remarks, the Republican National Committee (RNC) directed The Hill to statements in an early September release titled “Trump Campaign Announces ‘Catholics for Trump’ Coalition,” featuring words from figures like ex-Sen. Rick Santourm (R-Pa.).

“Like all Catholics who follow the teachings of the church, it guides every decision I make,” Santorum said in his statement. “There has never been a time when those values and the freedom to practice them have been in greater peril. With such high stakes, we are blessed to have the easiest decision in modern history as to which candidate for president has a record in public office more consistent with those teachings.”

“That’s why I will vote for and support Donald Trump and encourage my fellow Catholics to likewise.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump and Harris campaigns.

This story was updated at 4:53 p.m.

The Associated Press contributed.