Trump's Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo - This is Insane
Hawk breaks down one of the most jaw-dropping political stories in recent memory: Pentagon officials under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States, for an unusual meeting at the Defense Department on January 22nd. Rather than going through the State Department or the White House, as is standard diplomatic protocol, Pentagon officials attempted to justify U.S. military actions to Vatican representatives and even invoked the Avignon Papacy — a 14th century period when the French crown used military force to dominate papal authority — as a warning to Pope Leo to stop publicly criticizing the Trump administration.
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (cdn.simplecast.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Pope Leo, the first American-born pope and a Chicago native, had repeatedly called for diplomacy over military force in the weeks leading up to the meeting. Vatican officials described the encounter as unusual and far from a casual exchange, while Pentagon officials dismissed it as exaggerated. Pope Leo subsequently canceled a planned visit to the United States.
Hawk also examines Pete Hegseth's personal history, including allegations of alcoholism, a rape allegation settled with a non-disclosure agreement, and a pattern of marital infidelity, alongside his ties to Idaho-based evangelical dominionist pastor Doug Wilson. JD Vance's book on his Catholic conversion, which features a Methodist church on the cover, and the fact that two consecutive popes have been openly critical of Vance, rounds out a look at the cast of characters at the center of this story.
SUPPORT & CONNECT WITH HAWK
- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mdg650hawk
- Hawk's Merch Store: https://hawkmerchstore.com
- Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdg650hawk7thacct
- Connect on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hawkeyewhackamole
- Connect on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/mdg650hawk.bsky.social
- Connect on Substack: https://mdg650hawk.substack.com
- Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkpodcasts
- Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdg650hawk
- Connect on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/mdg650hawk
ALL HAWK PODCASTS INFO
- Additional Content Available Here:
- https://www.hawkpodcasts.com
- https://www.youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts
- Listen to Hawk Podcasts On Your Favorite Platform:
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3RWeJfy
- Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/422GDuL
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@hawkpodcasts
- iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/47vVBdP
- Pandora: https://bit.ly/48COaTB