WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump launched a sharp verbal attack against Pope Leo XIV late Sunday, labeling the pontiff “terrible” for foreign policy and “weak” on crime, following the pope’s criticism of Trump’s approach to the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and immigration enforcement. The confrontation marks a significant escalation in tensions between the White House and the Vatican, with Trump suggesting the pope’s election was influenced by anti-Trump sentiment.
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. He later told reporters he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff, who last year became the first U.S.-born pope in Catholic Church history. The president’s broadside came after Pope Leo XIV publicly condemned the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28, calling the conflict “atrocious” and urging Trump to find a diplomatic “off-ramp” to reduce violence.
The pope’s criticism extends beyond foreign policy to domestic issues, particularly immigration. During a Palm Sunday address last month in St. Peter’s Square, Leo XIV said God rejects prayers of leaders “who start wars and have their hands full of blood.” He has repeatedly questioned whether Trump’s hard-line immigration policies align with Catholic pro-life teachings, arguing last September that “someone who says I am against abortion but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life.”
Trump’s response included accusations that the pope is “weak on nuclear weapons” and suggested Leo XIV was elected primarily because he is American. “They thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump,” the president wrote, implying the Vatican sought an American pope to counter his administration’s policies. The Vatican has not responded to requests for comment regarding Trump’s latest remarks.
This is not the first time Trump has clashed with Vatican leadership. His relationship with Pope Leo XIV’s predecessor, Pope Francis, was similarly strained, with Francis criticizing Trump’s immigration proposals during the 2016 campaign and Trump calling the former pope “disgraceful.” The current conflict reflects deeper ideological divisions between Trump’s “America First” approach and the Vatican’s emphasis on global humanitarian concerns.
Analysts note the timing is particularly sensitive as the Iran conflict enters its seventh week with mounting civilian casualties. Pope Leo XIV has called for “deep reflection” about migrant treatment in the U.S., while Trump maintains that restricting immigration from developing countries is necessary to reduce crime. “He’s a very liberal person and he’s a man who doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump told reporters Sunday night, framing the disagreement as a fundamental difference in philosophy.
Source: ARY News