Newsom Rips New Catholic Vance for Denying Food to Poor

Gavin Newsom called out Catholic convert JD Vance for failing to uphold one of the major tenets of his adopted faith.

The California governor asked how the vice president could “square the circle” of being Catholic while resisting all efforts to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, reminding the Vance that feeding the poor is “fundamental to advancing God’s will.”

Speaking to Jake Tapper on State of the Union Sunday, lifelong Irish Catholic Newsom, 58, lectured on Vance, 41, on the foundational lessons of their shared faith, suggesting that the latter’s religion and actions didn’t quite add up.

“I mean, Old Testament, New Testament,” Newsom said. “What‘s the fundamental thing that connects every—I mean, from John to Matthew to Proverbs? It‘s this notion of hunger, feeding the poor, the sick, the tired, this… it‘s not an option, it‘s central to advancing God‘s will.”

Gavin Newsom on State of the Union with Jake Tapper — Gavin Newsom was raised Catholic, and emphasized that one of the ‘fundamental’ aspects of the faith is feeding the needy. CNN

CNN host Tapper introduced Vance’s reluctance to pay up for SNAP in his sit down with the California governor. Vance called the ruling that the benefits had to be paid “absurd” and making it clear that no federal judge could change his mind on the matter.

These comments from the vice president sparked ire from Newsom, who targeted Vance’s understanding of the religion. Vance, a self-proclaimed “baby Catholic,” converted to the religion 2019 at the age of 35.

“But think about the state of mind of the vice president,” he said. “How do they—how do they honestly—how do you square the circle when you go to a prayer breakfast? How do you square the circle?”

vance leo — JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, and Newsom questioned how he could ‘square the circle’ of resisting paying SNAP benefits. Vatican Media/Vatican Pool – Corbis/Getty Images

Newsom made it clear that in his own state, the 5.5 million SNAP recipients had seen their benefits restored through November, and lashed out at Vance for not making similar moves to ensure people are fed.

The potential 2028 presidential nominee called it “shameful” that SNAP benefits were being used as “a bargaining chip to end this shutdown.”

Workers and volunteers help distribute food boxes to those in need at a large-scale drive-through food distribution, in response to the federal government shutdown and SNAP/CalFresh food benefits delays, on November 5, 2025 in City of Industry, California. — Despite a federal ruling that SNAP should be paid, Vance and Trump are fighting against restoring the benefits. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Concluding his rant about the shortfall many Americans are currently struggling through, Newsom stated: “Now we need to win the heart and mind of the president of the United States, not just the vice president of the United States, to do the right damn thing.”

While Newsom heavily implied that Vance could do with a refresher course on the Catechism, Vance himself has admitted that he’s not an expert in his faith yet.

JD Vance and his wife Usha — Vance has spoken of his ‘deep belief’ in Catholicism, and recently publicly shared that he wanted his wife to convert from Hinduism. Anna Moneymaker/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Vance gave a speech at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast earlier this year, and announced: “I recognize very much that I am a baby Catholic… If you ever hear me pontificating about the Catholic faith, please recognize it comes from a place of deep belief, but it also comes from a place of not always knowing everything all the time.”

Despite his own relative newness to the Church, Vance was accused of throwing his wife Usha “under a bus” last week, after publicly proclaiming his desire that she abandoned her Hindu faith and join him as a Catholic convert.

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