Financier Stuns CNN Panel with Alleged Pope-Obama Plot Against Trump
During a Monday appearance on CNN's NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Point Bridge Capital CEO Hal Lambert sent shockwaves through the panel by peddling a conspiracy theory alleging collaboration between Pope Leo XIV and former President Barack Obama to bring down President Donald Trump. The MAGA-supporting executive claimed the alleged plot aimed to damage the Republican Party ahead of the crucial midterm elections.
The Chicago-Centric Conspiracy Allegations
Lambert asserted that the conspiracy was "100 percent political" and designed specifically to hurt President Trump's Catholic vote during the midterms. "This is all about trying to hurt President Trump's Catholic vote during the midterms and Republicans in the midterms," Lambert declared during the heated exchange.
The financier pointed to recent meetings between political figures as evidence, stating: "If you look at what - play out the dots here… David Axelrod goes and visits Pope Leo last week. They're talking about Obama going to visit Pope Leo." Lambert emphasized the Chicago connections, noting that both Pope Leo and David Axelrod, CNN's Chief Political Analyst who previously served on Obama's White House staff, hail from the same city.
"All of a sudden, now, Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel," Lambert continued. "You have three cardinals come out today, attacking the immigration policy. This is all about trying to get the Catholic vote against Trump."
CNN Panel Pushes Back Against Claims
Host Abby Phillip immediately challenged Lambert's argument, pointing out that it contained "a lot of flaws." However, the financier remained relentless in his assertions, responding: "There's no flaws. Axelrod is the chief strategist for Obama. The pope is saying he's not political. Why is he meeting with the chief strategist for both Obama's campaigns and in the White House?"
CNN commentator Bakari Sellers offered an alternative explanation, suggesting that Pope Leo might be meeting with Chicago figures simply because "he's from Chicago." The discussion grew increasingly tense as Phillip noted that one of the late Pope Francis's final meetings before his death was with Vice President JD Vance.
Trump's Escalating Feud with Pope Leo
The controversy comes amid an escalating public feud between President Trump and Pope Leo. On Sunday, Trump launched a scathing attack against the pontiff on his Truth Social platform, calling him "weak" and captive to the "Radical Left." The president even suggested that Pope Leo owed his position to him, writing: "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."
Trump added: "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump." The president went further to express preference for the pope's brother Louis, claiming he is "all MAGA" and "gets it, while Leo doesn't."
Historical Context and Papal Responses
The current conflict began after Pope Leo criticized US offensive actions against Iran without directly naming Trump or Washington. The pontiff responded to Trump's attacks by stating he had "no fear" of the Trump administration and would continue speaking out against the war with Iran. "I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel," Pope Leo told reporters during a flight to Algeria.
This isn't the first time a pope has disagreed with US policy. Pope John Paul II notably opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, while the late Pope Francis described Trump's migrant deportations as a "major crisis" just weeks before his death in April 2025, drawing rebuke from Trump's border czar Tom Homan.
What makes Trump's criticism of Pope Leo particularly unprecedented is that most US presidents have historically been wary of alienating Catholic voters by speaking out too strongly against a sitting pontiff. The current controversy highlights the intersection of religion, politics, and conspiracy theories in the heated political climate leading up to midterm elections.
