If you needed another example of why trust in the liberal media has cratered like a sinkhole under a collapsing narrative, look no further than The Daily Beast’s clumsy attempt to smear Vice President JD Vance over what amounts to a non-story about taking a photo—yes, a photo—inside the Sistine Chapel.
Here’s the headline The Daily Beast ran with:
“JD Vance is being slammed online after he broke one of the most notorious Vatican rules during his Easter weekend visit.”
JD Vance is being slammed online after he broke one of the most notorious Vatican rules during his Easter weekend visit. https://t.co/oLi4qmxDrY
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) April 22, 2025
Sounds scandalous, right? Except it wasn’t. The supposed “cardinal sin”? That a White House photographer—not Vance, not his family—snapped a shot inside the Sistine Chapel. That’s it. That’s the “controversy.” The Beast spun this into a full-blown “embarrassing gaffe,” complete with dramatic language, red font labels, and social media hot takes. But buried deep within their own article is the truth that nukes their entire angle:
The Vatican gave them permission.
That’s right—official approval. Special dispensation. A call ahead. Coordinated clearance. This wasn’t Vance going rogue with a selfie stick. This was a White House photographer operating within prearranged protocol on a historic visit that took place under the full gaze of Vatican officials.
An epic shot of Vice President JD Vance and his son inside the Sistine Chapel. What an incredible way to spend Easter weekend. pic.twitter.com/HldQVtcN93
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 20, 2025
Oh, and let’s not forget—Bill Clinton has photos in the Sistine Chapel. Michelle Obama? Same. Other presidents, heads of state, and dignitaries? Yep. There’s a precedent. This wasn’t new. It wasn’t unusual. It was barely even notable—until The Daily Beast decided it needed to become a scandal.
Let’s be honest: this wasn’t journalism. It was a desperate attempt to smear a Republican vice president in a moment of dignity and reverence. Vance wasn’t grandstanding. He was visiting one of the holiest sites in Christendom with his family, meeting the Pope—just hours before the Pontiff’s passing. Yet the media couldn’t even give that moment its due respect. Instead, they dredged up performative outrage over a photograph that wasn’t even taken without permission.
Permission is often granted to foreign heads of state, diplomats, etc. This isn’t new. Here’s Michelle Obama and Antony Blinken in the Sistine Chapel. pic.twitter.com/uFU4hRFOOT
— Nick Rizzuto (@Nick_Rizzuto) April 21, 2025
The irony? The only people “getting slammed online” now are The Daily Beast’s editors, who are being justifiably dragged across social media for trying to turn Vatican protocol into some kind of “gotcha” moment.
This is exactly why Americans by the millions say they can’t trust the liberal press. It’s not just the bias—it’s the laziness. The sheer disinterest in facts. It wouldn’t have taken five minutes to verify whether the photo was authorized. One call. One check. Instead, they ran with innuendo, slapped it with an outrage headline, and buried the truth several paragraphs down where they hoped no one would see it.
With his family by his side, US Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, marvels at the breathtaking beauty of the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel.
Video: Vatican Media pic.twitter.com/xzU4W9T0By
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) April 19, 2025
But people did see it. And now The Daily Beast looks like the very thing they tried to paint JD Vance as—clueless, desperate, and embarrassingly out of touch.
