The Candidate

Representative Ro Khanna announced this week that Democrats should run Pope Leo XIV for President in 2028.

Pope Leo XIV is currently the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics. He was elected on May 8, 2026, by 120 cardinals, making him the first American-born Pope in the 2,000-year history of the institution. He is, technically, an American citizen. This is the extent of his presidential eligibility, and it was apparently sufficient.

The Pope's current job title is Vicar of Christ on Earth. The office comes with housing in Rome. His schedule includes the sacraments, international diplomacy, and a 2,000-year institutional backlog. He has not announced a deputy to cover these responsibilities during campaign season.

Representative Khanna represents California's 17th congressional district. He said the Pope would make a "terrific" candidate. He did not explain who would run the Catholic Church in the interim, or whether the College of Cardinals would accept a leave of absence request from someone who also wanted to discuss the debt ceiling.

There are approximately 80 million registered voters in the states Democrats need to win. There are approximately 67 million Catholics in the United States. Representative Khanna has not published the Venn diagram. He may be working on it.

The last time a candidate's proximity to God was this explicitly part of the pitch, it became complicated.

The Pope has not endorsed Representative Khanna's suggestion. Representative Khanna has not endorsed the Nicene Creed. The primary is 22 months away.

There is still time to find someone else.