President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV on April 12, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” as tensions continue in the Middle East.
The exchange highlights ongoing disagreements between political and religious leaders over military actions and diplomacy. The situation has drawn attention because of the pope’s repeated calls for peace amid escalating violence involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Pope Leo has spoken out against combat operations by both the U.S. and Israel against Iran that began on Feb. 28. He also condemned Trump’s earlier threat to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization,” a statement Trump later withdrew during negotiations involving Pakistani mediators. On April 11, Pope Leo led a prayer vigil for peace at St. Peter’s Basilica.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon… And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.” Despite Trump’s remarks, there is no evidence that Pope Leo supports Iran having nuclear weapons; in fact, he has called for their rejection.
Trump further claimed that Church leaders selected an American pope as a way to influence his presidency: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” he wrote. He also criticized how the Catholic Church responded during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared Pope Leo unfavorably with his brother Louis: “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him… He gets it, and Leo doesn’t!”
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City responded late April 12 by saying he was “disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father.” Coakley added: “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician… He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for care of souls.”
Trump’s statements came after Vice President JD Vance failed to achieve key goals in negotiations with Iranian officials in Islamabad following more than twenty hours of talks. The same day saw Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán lose an election despite support from both Trump and Vance.
The Free Press recently reported—though disputed by both Pentagon officials and Vatican representatives—that top Vatican diplomats had been summoned to Washington earlier this year regarding papal criticism following U.S.-led operations in Venezuela.
After praying Regina Caeli on April 12, Pope Leo expressed solidarity with those suffering due to conflict globally—including Sudan and Lebanon—and called for all parties involved to cease fire immediately.
A recent NBC News Survey found that among major public figures in America today, Pope Leo holds a net favorability rating of +34 percent while Trump trails at minus twelve percent.
