Is this coincidence… or something more deliberate
Is this coincidence… or something more deliberate
Because when Obama’s chief strategist meets privately with a Chicago-born pope—and days later that same pope escalates criticism of Trump—people start asking questions. According to CBS News:
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday met with David Axelrod, a longtime Democratic strategist and former senior advisor to former President Barack Obama. The meeting has many wondering if the pope might soon have a formal meeting with Obama himself. Leo was born in Chicago and raised in south suburban Dolton. While Axelrod was born in New York, like Obama, he attended the University of Chicago, and after working as a reporter at the Chicago Tribune in the 1980s, he later helped Obama get elected president in 2008. While the Vatican did not provide any details on Axelrod’s meeting with Leo on Thursday, six weeks ago, Obama made it clear he’d like to meet his hometown pope. “Being president, or even being an ex-president, I can kind of meet everybody. So, I’ve met a lot of folks. The person who I have not yet met, and that I’m looking forward to meeting – and I hope I get an opportunity sometime in the future – is the new pope, who’s from Chicago, and a White Sox fan,” Obama said on Bryan Tyler Cohen’s podcast in February.
And immediately after....
Then almost immediately, Pope Leo XIV and three cardinals went on the offensive—hammering Trump and his America First agenda.
In a rare joint interview, three of America’s most influential cardinals, who actively serve archdioceses, share what they’re hearing in their pews. pic.twitter.com/hSRY9Bb6iE
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 12, 2026
One could argue that in light of this, the Trump administration had a right, an obligation even, to fight back. And, fight back they did. The storm that followed was predictable. But, at Both Barrels Media, we always step back and ask..."Who's to gain from this?" "Was this to divide Catholic vote?"....It sure looks that way.
Social Media Firestorm Erupts...
Most of us have seen what the social media hive mentality can do. People all over the world could see that this was a complete 100% political play. But guess what? It’s works. That’s why they keep playing the game. Separating. Dividing. Like wolves dividing the sheep. And, the band plays on!
🚨 HAL LAMBERT JUST CALLED IT OUT
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 14, 2026
"David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo...all of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel."
"Axelrod is the chief strategist for Obama. The Pope was saying he's not political. Why is he… pic.twitter.com/AQ4vwcoLty
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