Washington (QNN)- US President Donald Trump on Monday attacked Pope Leo XIV, calling the pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after he criticized the US-Israeli assault on Iran.
In a Truth Social post, Trump criticized the pope for “catering to the Radical Left” and failing to support the US on matters of national security. “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA,” Trump wrote, referring to Louis Prevost, who lives in Florida. “He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!”
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela,” Trump said.
This followed recent remarks by Leo condemning the Israeli-US assault on Iran, including describing a threat by Trump to attack Iranian civilian infrastructure and that “an entire civilization will die tonight” as “truly unacceptable.”
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The US president, who was raised Presbyterian, followed up his comment with a post featuring an image of himself as a Christ-like figure healing a sick man while eagles and jet planes soared overhead.
“Unfortunately, Leo’s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left,” Trump posted.
Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Leo’s election, claiming, without evidence, that his own presidency had enabled the pope’s accession to the throne of St. Peter.
The pope’s behavior, he said, is “hurting the Catholic Church!”
“Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise,” Trump added. “He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”
Before Leo’s election in 2025, the White House posted an AI-generated image of the president dressed in papal regalia a couple of days after Trump jokingly said: “I’d like to be pope.”
It’s not the first time Trump has attacked the Vatican. Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, was a frequent critic of the president and Israeli assaults.
Recently, according to a report by The Free Press, the US administration pressured the Vatican to align with Washington’s position, threatening that the US has "the military power to act without limits".
The report said senior Pentagon officials summoned a top Vatican diplomat for what sources described as a “bitter lecture” demanding support for Trump’s policies.
According to officials briefed on the meeting, Cardinal Christophe Pierre met with US Under Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby in January. During the meeting, US officials stressed that Washington could do “whatever it wants” militarily and told the Vatican that Pope Leo “better take its side.” One official even referenced the Avignon Papacy, a period when political power dominated the papacy, signaling pressure on the Church to align with US authority.
The report described the meeting as highly unusual, with Pentagon officials reportedly criticizing the Pope’s January “State of the World” address. In that speech, Pope Leo warned against a shift toward force-based diplomacy and criticized policies linked to Trump’s doctrine. His remarks appeared to challenge Washington’s growing reliance on military power over dialogue.
Tensions between the Vatican and the Trump administration have escalated in recent months. Pope Leo has openly criticized US policies, including the crackdown on migrants and recent assaults toward Iran. He described the war as “unjust” and warned that it fuels instability, economic crisis, and global hatred.
Relations worsened further after the Pope declined an invitation from the White House to attend US Independence Day celebrations. Vatican officials cited policy disagreements and concerns about political exploitation. Instead, Pope Leo plans to spend July 4 on the island of Lampedusa, a key arrival point for African refugees.
