Trump Donor Hal Lambert's Pope Conspiracy Theory Stuns CNN Panel
Republican donor Hal Lambert made a shocking appearance on CNN's "NewsNight" on Monday, defending President Donald Trump with a baseless conspiracy theory that left fellow panelists in disbelief. The theory implicated former President Barack Obama, his ex-chief strategist David Axelrod, and Pope Leo XIV in a plot to damage Trump politically.
Controversial Social Media Post Sparks Outlandish Claims
The controversy erupted after Trump posted a contentious message on social media on Sunday, condemning Pope Leo XIV's calls for peace amid the Iran War. Trump labeled the pontiff "WEAK on Crime" and "terrible at Foreign Policy." Lambert, a member of Trump's 2017 inaugural committee and founder of investment firm Point Bridge Capital, seized on this to weave an elaborate narrative.
"But this is 100% political, OK?" Lambert declared during the segment. "This is all about trying to hurt President Trump's Catholic vote during the midterms and Republicans during the midterms. If you look at what—play out the dots here."
Lambert's Flawed Conspiracy Timeline
Lambert attempted to connect dots that simply do not align. He pointed to Axelrod's visit to Pope Leo last week and speculated about Obama planning a visit, noting the pope's Chicago roots. "All of a sudden, now Pope Leo is out attacking Trump and the policies of the United States and Israel," he asserted, ignoring the pope's long-standing opposition to the conflict.
Host Abby Phillip quickly countered Lambert's claims, highlighting that Pope Leo had voiced his condemnation of U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran well before Axelrod's April 9 visit. "Hal, there are just a lot of flaws in this," Phillip noted, but Lambert insisted, "No, no, no. There's no flaws. 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?"
Panelists Challenge Lambert's Logic
Fellow panelist Leigh McGowan, a political commentator, added context by mentioning that Vice President JD Vance met with Pope Francis last year. Phillip reinforced this, stating that the former pontiff was "extremely critical" of Trump's immigration rhetoric yet still engaged with Vance. "So what's the conspiracy?" Phillip asked pointedly.
Lambert shifted his argument, questioning why Pope Leo hadn't called out the Iranian regime after it killed over 30,000 of its own citizens, while criticizing the U.S. and Israel. "He said we need to stop violence... That wasn't calling out the Iranian regime, and yet he's calling out the United States and Israel," Lambert contended.
Pope's Broad Engagements Undermine Conspiracy Claims
The pope has a history of meeting with diverse figures, including actor Adam Scott, model Naomi Campbell, and director Judd Apatow, but Lambert oddly refrained from labeling these encounters as conspiracies—perhaps to avoid suggesting the pope seeks blessings for an Italian romantic comedy. This selective reasoning further weakened his already tenuous argument.
Unsurprisingly, Lambert faced widespread mockery on social media for his confounding claims. His theory, lacking factual basis, served as a stark example of how political fervor can fuel unfounded narratives in the public sphere.
