U.S. Vice President JD Vance has faced backlash for breaking Vatican protocol during a meeting with Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected and first American-born pope. Just weeks earlier, Vance had already stirred controversy by taking a photo inside the Sistine Chapel, where photography is banned.

During the May 18 meeting with the pope, Vance was seen casually patting Pope Leo on the elbow—a gesture seen as disrespectful and out of line with Vatican etiquette. Proper conduct includes conservative dress, speaking only when spoken to, and avoiding unnecessary physical contact. Social media users slammed the gesture as “cringey” and disrespectful. Some noted the pope’s seemingly uncomfortable reaction after the encounter. Critics called Vance’s behavior unrefined, with one referring to him as a “hillbilly.”