But when white smoke blew from the Vatican on Thursday, the selection was still a surprise. For the first time ever, the pope is an American—Cardinal Robert Prevost, who has taken the name of Pope Leo XIV. As John Nichols writes, Leo is a significant name selection, for “Pope Leo XIII, the leader of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, came to be known as ‘the Pope of the Workers.’”

The new Leo may or may not turn out to be the social justice warrior we hoped for, but at least he’s more knowledgeable about the role of religion in society than Trump—who famously answered, when asked if he preferred the Old or New Testament, that the two “were probably equal.”

Not surprising, since Trump has had other priorities for his presidential attention—such as boosting alternative currencies. This week, we published Jacob Silverman on the rise and role of crypto in Trump’s second administration. “Never has so much power, authority, and attention been afforded to such an economically unproductive industry,” Silverman writes. “And never have politicians had so many opportunities for clandestine personal enrichment, in a parallel financial system that they’ve largely let run amok.”

-Alana Pockros

Engagement Editor, The Nation

Not yet a subscriber of The Nation? Get one year of unlimited digital access for just $14.95.