President Donald Trump launched an aggressive public critique of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, calling the American-born pontiff "terrible" for his foreign policy views. The president’s remarks followed the Pope’s weekend plea for peace regarding the ongoing war between the United States and Iran.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump declared he is "not a big fan" of the leader of the Catholic Church. He characterized the Pope as an overly liberal figure who fails to address crime effectively.
"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime," Trump said. The president further accused the pontiff of showing leniency toward a nation seeking nuclear capabilities.
In a follow-up post on Truth Social, Trump doubled down on his assessment. He wrote, "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," labeling the religious leader "WEAK on Crime."
Escalating diplomatic tensions
The conflict stems from the Pope’s recent address at St. Peter’s Basilica, where he condemned the "delusion of omnipotence" driving the current conflict. The pontiff urged world leaders to abandon the "idolatry of self and money" and end the violence.
Trump suggested that the Pope’s election was a strategic maneuver by the Vatican to undermine his administration. "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," he claimed, asserting that the church chose an American leader specifically to counter his presidency.
Following his comments, the president shared an AI-generated image on social media that depicted himself dressed in religious robes performing a healing act. This follows a pattern of the White House circulating AI-generated imagery featuring the president.
Despite the public hostility, both the White House and the Vatican have formally rejected reports of a deepening rift. Earlier media reports alleged that a Pentagon official had given a "bitter lecture" to the Vatican’s envoy, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, in January regarding the Church’s stance on U.S. military actions.
Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni dismissed those reports, stating that the account of the meeting "does not correspond to the truth in any way." While the Holy See insists that diplomatic relations remain professional, the president’s latest public statements suggest a widening ideological gap between the two institutions.
