A collection of mostly right-leaning media personalities responded Thursday to Pope Francis’ supposed criticism of GOP front-runner Donald Trump’s immigration platform by tweeting what they thought were photos of a border wall protecting Vatican City, but were really pictures of a building’s exterior.
Exactly RT @DennisWayne79: @KatiePavlich Pope wants to scold Trump for wanting to build a wall. Meanwhile at Vatican pic.twitter.com/uKMzI0GXjd
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) February 18, 2016
Pope on Trump: “A person who thinks only about building walls…is not Christian.” This is Vatican City. pic.twitter.com/ehmsLoljTl
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 18, 2016
The tweeted images show the outside of the Vatican museum, which is located to the right of St. Peter’s Square, rather than the many walls that surround the small city.
The supposed media “gotchas” came after Francis responsed Thursday morning to a question about the 2016 GOP primary.
Big Beautiful Walls of Vatican City — Just sayin. #PopeFrancis #DonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/k6vo2XatrU
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 18, 2016
“Today, you spoke very eloquently about the problems of immigration. On the other side of the border, there is a very tough electoral battle. One of the candidates for the White House, Republican Donald Trump, in an interview recently said that you are a political man and he even said that you are a pawn, an instrument of the Mexican government for migration politics,” Reuters’ Phil Pullella said.
“Trump said that if he’s elected, he wants to build 2,500 kilometers of wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants, separating families, etcetera. I would like to ask you, what do you think of these accusations against you and if a North American Catholic can vote for a person like this?” he added.
The pope answered in a fashion that had newsrooms everywhere convinced that he had accused Trump of being a bad Christian, and that he had also condemned efforts by U.S. politicians to secure their border.
“Thank God he said I was a politician because Aristotle defined the human person as ‘animal politicus.’ At least I am a human person. As to whether I am a pawn, well, maybe, I don’t know. I’ll leave that up to your judgment and that of the people,” the pope said.
“And then, a person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the Gospel. As far as what you said about whether I would advise to vote or not to vote, I am not going to get involved in that. I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and in this I give the benefit of the doubt,” he added.
For many in media, Francis clearly meant that it’s un-Christian to be in favor of border security. And seeing as how the Vatican is surrounded by walls, the Holy Father is obviously a hypocrite, these same characters concluded.
“Pope Francis, tear down that wall!”#vaticanwalls pic.twitter.com/mDGANFtApb
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) February 18, 2016
Even Fox News’ website got in on the game, and published a front page story that prominently featured an image of the Vatican museum’s exterior.

Political commentator David Frum missed the mark entirely when he tweeted a photo of a French city that hasn’t housed a pope since 1377. He also failed to quote Francis accurately.
“People who build walls are not Christians.” Image: wall built by Pope Innocent VI around papal capital at Avignon pic.twitter.com/aajf42lZFS
— David Frum (@davidfrum) February 18, 2016
Forbes editor Avik Roy inexplicably tweeted a photo of massive archways, and asked if, “we will we be tearing down the wall around Vatican City.”
So I take it we will we be tearing down the wall around Vatican City? pic.twitter.com/DklillJ3Zl
— Avik Roy (@Avik) February 18, 2016
Though Vatican City is indeed mostly walled off, its front door, which leads right up to St. Peter’s Square, is wide open and visitors are required to submit to a basic, perfunctory security check. Contrary to the facts of the matter, however, Trump spokesman Dan Scavino said anyway Thursday morning that the entire city is “100% surrounded by massive walls.”
Amazing comments from the Pope- considering Vatican City is 100% surrounded by massive walls. pic.twitter.com/g3iVLDVGe5
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@DanScavino) February 18, 2016
It is not:
