INTERNACIONAL
Inclusive tone of new pope isn’t sitting well with some in the ‘America First’ movement

The morning after his election, Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV and the first American pontiff in the Catholic Church’s 2,000-year history — presided over his first Mass.
In a nod to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, Leo pledged to align himself with «ordinary people» and pointed to a loss of religious faith for contributing to «appalling violations of human dignity.»
«A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family and so many other wounds that afflict our society,» the new pope said in his homily delivered at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel on Thursday.
However, the message from the pope – who, like his predecessor, appears to hail from the more inclusive and progressive wing of the Catholic Church – does not appear to be receptive to some in the «America First» movement.
FIRST AMERICAN-BORN POPE INSPIRES FAITH LEADERS ACROSS THE NATION
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on May 8, 2025. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters)
The founder and leader of the movement, President Donald Trump, on Thursday quickly praised the selection of Leo, who was Chicago-born but has lived much of his adult life in Peru.
«It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!» Trump wrote in a social media post.
Additionally, Vice President JD Vance, only the second Catholic vice president in U.S. history, congratulated the new pope, adding, «I’m sure millions of American Catholics and other Christians will pray for his successful work leading the Church. May God bless him!»
PRESIDENT TRUMP CALLS FIRST AMERICAN POPE LEO XIV AN ‘HONOR’ FOR US, ‘VERY HAPPY’
However, thanks to a paper trail of weighing in on major American lighting rod issues such as illegal immigration, gun control, and even the 2020 death of George Floyd – which sparked nationwide protests targeting police brutality towards minorities – the new pope was bound to be controversial among some of Trump’s millions of MAGA supporters.
Steve Bannon, the former White House chief strategist in Trump’s first administration and a conservative Catholic, wrote, «Worst pick ever,» in responding on social media to the new pope’s election.
That sentiment from Bannon, and much harsher words from some far-right podcasters and social media influencers, was likely fueled in part by apparent past posts from the new pope – which could not be independently verified by Fox News – that were critical of the Trump administration’s sweeping and controversial immigration policies.

Pope Francis, days before his death, meets with Vice President JD Vance, left, and his delegation during an audience at Casa Santa Marta on April 20, 2025 in Vatican City. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Pro-Trump conservative commentator Joey Mannarino took to X to charge that «the new Pope has recently attacked JD Vance, shown solidarity with Kilmar Abrego-Garcia and begged Trump to open the borders like Biden had them. This guy is worse than Francis.»
LIVE UPDATES: CARDINAL ROBERT PREVOST ANNOUNCED AS FIRST AMERICAN POPE, TAKING NAME LEO XIV
However, influential conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a MAGA world rock star and Trump ally who leads the powerful Turning Point USA youth organization, was more measured.
«Let’s just say, not so great tweets about having some willingness for open borders. We’ll see kind of how he is on that. Also some George Floyd stuff that I’m not too crazy about,» Kirk said in a video posted on X.
Kirk added that «overall, it seems like he’s a pro-life warrior. There’s a lot yet to learn about this pope, but I hope that he will be a strong advocate for strong borders. And for sovereignty.»
Popular conservative commentator and radio host Hugh Hewitt seemed receptive to the new pope.
Trump has warmly embraced American Catholics in recent years and captured nearly 60% of the Catholic vote in last year’s presidential election, according to a Fox News voter analysis. Four years earlier, former President Joe Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, narrowly captured the Catholic vote.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend Pope Francis’ funeral on April 28, 2025 at the Vatican. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Among those Catholics who supported Trump is former New Hampshire state House Speaker Bill O’Brien, who is one of the state’s two members on the Republican National Committee.
O’Brien told Fox News that he’s «very respectful of the votes of the conclave, and I’m also proud that we do have a pope from America.»
«I certainly would have liked to have seen someone more in the tradition of Pope Benedict, who held more closely to the traditional doctrines of the church,» O’Brien said. «But I’m not sure that Pope Leo is really established now in terms of where he will be. And the fact that he criticized Trump, I suppose that probably shows a less than developed political sense than it does a doctoral sense, which is more important.»
CLICK HERE TO GET TO THE FOX NEWS APP
O’Brien noted that «any pope, any religious figure for that matter, is going to be concerned about those who are powerless in our society, and rightfully so, but that doesn’t mean he’s given intense thought to the importance of national borders.»
He additionally emphasized that «I’m thrilled about where he comes from, and I’m hopeful about where he’s going.»
Pope Leo XIV,Donald Trump,JD Vance,Pope Francis,Roman Catholic,Politics,Republicans
INTERNACIONAL
Escándalo en Italia por un posteo de Trump que dice que Meloni busca negociar un acuerdo secreto con EE.UU.

Un video que reposteó el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, desató una tormenta política en Italia. El material asegura que la primera ministra Giorgia Meloni decidió romper con la Unión Europa y busca negociar un acuerdo comercial directo con Washington y sugirió además un recorte en el apoyo italiano a Ucrania.
“Giorgia Meloni desafía la UE y trata de obtener un acuerdo comercial directo con Trump. Bien hecho Meloni. Es una movida brillante”, comentó la activista ultraconservadora, Lynne Patton, autora del video que compartió Trump.
Leé también: Así fue el ingreso de Sarkozy a la cárcel: la despedida de Carla Bruni y el deseo de llevar dos libros El posteo que Trump publicó en sus redes y generó una fuerte polémica en Italia. (Foto: captura de X).
La oposición exige una respuesta urgente
Desde el primer momento, la oposición italiana salió al cruce y pidió una desmentida oficial. Francesco Boccia, presidente de los senadores del Partido Democrático (PD), y Piero De Luca calificaron la situación de “gravedad inaudita” y reclamaron que Meloni aclare su postura.
En la misma línea, Luana Zanella de Alianza Verde y Sinistra (Avs) expresó: “Esperamos que el miércoles la premier dé explicaciones en el Parlamento”. Por su parte, el vicepresidente de Italia Viva, Enrico Borghi, fue tajante: “Mientras en Italia se denuncia un video falso hecho con inteligencia artificial contra Donzelli, Trump publica un informe periodístico con supuestas declaraciones falsas de Meloni. La premier debe desmentir de inmediato al presidente de Estados Unidos. Si no lo hace, debemos asumir que el Gobierno quiere recortar la ayuda a Kiev y negociar unilateralmente los aranceles, pasando por encima de la UE. Sería gravísimo”.
Borghi fue más allá y advirtió: “Cada vez está más claro que Washington está usando a Palacio de Chigi como palanca para romper la unidad europea”.
El Gobierno italiano salió a desmentir
Ante la presión, el gobierno de Meloni emitió un comunicado para desactivar la crisis: «Las negociaciones comerciales, como es sabido, son competencia exclusiva de la Unión Europea y están lideradas por la Comisión Europea“.
Sin embargo, reconocieron que “desde hace tiempo existe un diálogo bilateral que acompaña la acción de la Comisión sobre los aranceles antidumping propuestos por el Departamento de Comercio de Estados Unidos contra algunos productores italianos de pasta”, indicó el Corriere della Sera.
Leé también: El video del robo en el Louvre: un turista filmó a uno de los ladrones cuando rompía una vitrina con las joyas
El vínculo Meloni-Trump y la aclaración oficialista
El diputado de Fratelli d’Italia y presidente de la Comisión de Finanzas de la Cámara, Marco Osnato, también se refirió al tema en una entrevista radial: «La relación entre Giorgia Meloni y Donald Trump es de colaboración muy estrecha. Por las palabras de Trump se entiende que considera a Meloni una socia confiable e importante, pero quiero aclarar que la misma buena relación se dio también con Biden. Nadie en Italia se casó con Trump ni es trumpista de la primera o la segunda hora».

Trump elogió la belleza de Meloni en la cumbre de Gaza. (Foto: REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett).
El polémico piropo de Trump a Meloni
La semana pasada, Trump elogió la belleza de la primera ministra italiana, única mujer entre los dirigentes presentes en la cumbre de Gaza en Egipto.
“No tengo derecho a decirlo, porque habitualmente puede significar el fin de la carrera política si uno lo dice, pero ella es una mujer bella”, dijo en su discurso el mandatario estadounidense que copresidió la conferencia cuyo objetivo era garantizar el acuerdo entre Israel y Hamas para poner fin a la guerra en Gaza.
Trump dudó y luego dijo: “Me arriesgo”, buscando la mirada de Meloni.
“¿Dónde está? ¿No le molesta si digo que es bella? Porque es cierto”, afirmó el mandatario de 79 años, que se casó tres veces.
“Ella es muy respetada en Italia. Es una política muy exitosa”, añadió Trump. De pie justo detrás de él, la jefa de Gobierno se limitó a sonreír.
Donald Trump, Giorgia Meloni
INTERNACIONAL
American missionary kidnapped in Niger by suspected Islamist militants, sources say

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The U.S. government is aware of the kidnapping of an American Christian missionary in the West African nation of Niger, U.S. official sources told Fox News.
The sources told Fox News that they suspect that the missionary has been taken north to Islamic State-controlled areas where an offshoot of ISIS operates.
«We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in Niamey, Niger,» a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News. «Since we were alerted of the situation, our Embassy officials have been working with local authorities. It is a top priority for the Trump Administration to look after the safety of every American, and we are seeing efforts from across the U.S. Government to support the recovery and safe return of this U.S. citizen.»
MINNESOTA MISSIONARY, A FATHER OF 5, KILLED IN ‘ACT OF VIOLENCE’ IN ANGOLA
Niger’s presidential palace in Niamey in 2023. The abduction reportedly took place only about 100 yards from the presidential palace. (AFP via Getty Images)
The missionary is a pilot for the evangelical missionary agency Serving in Mission, according to Reuters.

A general view of a crowded street market in Niamey, Niger, on May 17, 2023. The capital city has faced rising instability since the 2023 military coup that toppled President Mohamed Bazoum. (Michele Cattani / AFP via Getty Images)
TENNESSEE PASTOR KIDNAPPED AT GUNPOINT IN SOUTH AFRICA RECALLS ‘MIRACLE’ THAT SAVED HIS LIFE
The abduction took place only about 100 yards from the presidential palace in Niamey, where ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has been held since he was toppled by a coup more than two years ago, according to CBS News.
Following the kidnapping, the U.S. Embassy in Niger said it now requires all personnel to travel only in armored vehicles and announced that all restaurants and open-air markets are «off-limits».
Kidnappings appear to have intensified this year in areas of West Africa where militants operate. An Austrian woman was abducted in January in Niger, and a Swiss citizen was abducted in April in the same country, Reuters reported.

Niger’s junta leader, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, salutes during an official ceremony in Niamey, Niger, on Aug. 26, 2023. Tchiani seized power in a July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and has ruled the West African nation since. (AFP via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In addition, five Indian citizens working for a company providing services to Niger’s Kandadji dam project were kidnapped during an attack by armed men in April that also killed a dozen soldiers, according to the outlet.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
state department,terrorism,africa,world,crime,religion,india
INTERNACIONAL
Schumer blocks 12th GOP bid to reopen government as Trump says Democrats ‘lost the negotiation’

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The government shutdown meandered into its 22nd day with no end in sight after a 12th GOP attempt to reopen the government was stalled and then blocked by Senate Democrats on Wednesday evening.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus kneecapped Republicans’ bid to reopen the government for the 12th time. The latest failed vote comes as Schumer has demanded another meeting with President Donald Trump and on the heels of an almost 24-hour filibuster by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore, that pushed the vote late into Wednesday.
During his marathon floor speech, which began at 6:23 pm on Tuesday, Merkley spoke on authoritarianism — what he called the Trump Administration’s overreach on immigration, separation of powers, and more.
«Republicans have shut down the government to continue the strategy of slashing Americans’ healthcare,» Merkley said, referring to the healthcare-centered debate holding up consideration of the government’s funding.
He concluded his remarks at 5:00 p.m. on Wed.
Little has changed in the upper chamber since the shutdown began. Schumer and the Senate Democratic caucus demand that there be a real, ironclad deal to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies, while Senate Republicans remain adamant that there is no path forward available on the matter until the government is reopened.
SCHUMER REQUESTS MEETING WITH TRUMP ‘ANY TIME, ANY PLACE’ AS DEMOCRAT STALEMATE DRAGS ON
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., steps away from reporters following a Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, Oct. 15, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
But what is old is new in a repeating cycle, and Schumer wants to meet with Trump again.
Schumer, speaking on behalf of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., requested another meeting with Trump ahead of the vote in a bid to go around Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and congressional Republicans to secure a deal.
There have been informal talks — more casual conversation than true negotiation — between Republicans and Democrats, but nothing has materialized that puts lawmakers any closer to solving the ongoing stalemate.
«Hakeem and I reached out to the president today and urged him to sit down and negotiate with us to resolve the healthcare crisis, address it and end the Trump shutdown,» Schumer said. «He should sit — the things get worse every day for the American people. He should sit down with us, negotiate in a serious way before he goes away.»
The last time the top congressional Democrats met with Trump came just a day before the climactic vote to avert a shutdown. Neither side walked away with a compromise, or agreement, to keep the lights on.
SENATE DEMS EMBOLDENED BY WEEKEND RALLIES BLOCK GOP PLAN TO END SHUTDOWN FOR 11TH TIME

President Donald Trump listens as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., speaks during a lunch with Republican senators on the Rose Garden patio at the White House in Washington, Oct. 21, 2025. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
Fast-forward to the shutdown’s fourth week, and Trump signaled he’d speak with Schumer and Jeffries — only after the government is reopened.
«The government has to be open,» he said. «You know how long it will take for them to do that? Just say, ‘OK, government is open.’ That’s it. There is nothing — They’re not negotiating.»
«What they’re doing is saying they lost the negotiation,» Trump continued. «And when we got the great ‘big beautiful [bill]’ done, they lost the negotiation. Now they’re saying, ‘Well, we want to get some of the things we lost.’ But the problem is the things they lost are very bad for our country.»
Congressional Democrats’ initial demands, made in a counter-proposal to the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), called for a permanent extension to the enhanced Obamacare premium tax credits and guardrails on Trump’s ability to claw back congressionally approved funding, among other things.
SCHUMER’S SHUTDOWN SCHEME EXPLAINED: DEMS DOUBLE DOWN ON OBAMACARE CREDITS AS STANDOFF DRAGS ON

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., left, and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pictured at the US Capitol in Washington. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
A White House official doubled down on Trump’s position and told Fox News Digital, «We will not have policy conversations while the Democrats are holding the American people hostage. Reopen the government.»
While Democrats desire more than just an extension to the COVID-19-era subsidy, they’ve made their primary argument all about the tax credits.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Thune offered Senate Democrats a vote on the subsidies, but so far they have declined to take the leap and instead are holding out for a guaranteed outcome in the shutdown fight. However, that is unlikely to come as Republicans and the White House, so far, are equally dug in against Schumer’s demands.
«I think [Trump] wants the Democrats to take ‘yes’ for an answer,» Thune said. «We’ve offered them a lot of the things they were asking for — a normal appropriations process, an opportunity to get a vote on some of the things that they want to see voted on, with respect to the expiring Obamacare enhanced subsidies. But that can’t happen until we open up the government.»
senate,government shutdown,chuck schumer,donald trump,health care healthy living,politics
- CHIMENTOS3 días ago
Pampita recibió un video inesperado de su hija Blanca en el Día de la Madre y no pudo contener la emoción
- POLITICA3 días ago
Donald Trump habló sobre la ayuda económica de Estados Unidos: “La Argentina está peleando por su vida”
- DEPORTE3 días ago
La reacción en vivo del arquero de Olimpia: «¿Qué hacés, muerto, la concha de tu madre?»