President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social over disputes including the U.S.-led war in Iran, immigration, and crime, accusing the pontiff of weakness and favoring Iran's nuclear ambitions. The feud, featuring a deleted AI-generated image of Trump in a Jesus-like pose, has sparked backlash from some supporters and a response from Vice President J.D. Vance. The pope, on an 11-day Africa tour, defiantly affirmed he would continue proclaiming the Gospel message of peace.
President Trump lashed out at Pope Leo XIV in Truth Social posts this past weekend, labeling him 'WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.' Trump linked the attacks to the pope's criticism of the U.S.-led war in Iran, writing, 'I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,' while highlighting Iran's killing of at least 42,000 protesters. He urged Leo to 'stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician,' adding that he was elected 'IN A LANDSLIDE' to handle crime and foreign affairs and claiming the pope's selection was tied to his own presidency.
At Joint Base Andrews, Trump told reporters, 'I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person.' Trump also posted and later deleted an AI-generated image depicting himself in a scene resembling Jesus healing the sick.
The pope, traveling on his plane to Algeria as part of an 11-day Africa tour, responded, 'I have no fear of neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message in the Gospel,' affirming he would continue proclaiming peace.
The exchanges have drawn backlash even from some Trump supporters. Vice President J.D. Vance urged the pope to be cautious on theological matters.
