Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV as 'Weak' and 'Terrible' After Pontiff Condemns Iran War
President Donald Trump launched a blistering public attack on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, calling the first American pontiff "weak on crime," "terrible for Foreign Policy," and "a very liberal person" after the Pope condemned the US-led war against Iran and criticised Trump's immigration policies.
The extraordinary public feud between the US president and the leader of the Catholic Church escalated sharply after Pope Leo XIV presided over an evening prayer service at St Peter's Basilica on Saturday, April 12, in which he denounced a "delusion of omnipotence" fuelling the conflict and implored world leaders to end the bloodshed.
Pope's Condemnation of the War
Though he did not name the United States or Trump directly, Pope Leo XIV's message was widely understood as a rebuke of American military action. He had previously described Trump's warning of mass strikes against Iranian infrastructure — in which the president declared "an entire civilisation will die tonight" — as "truly unacceptable."
The Pope also stated that God "does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them," referencing an Old Testament passage from Isaiah about hands being "full of blood."
Trump's Social Media Broadside
Trump responded with a lengthy social media post in which he accused the Pope of being a political actor rather than a spiritual leader. "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela," Trump wrote, referring to the administration's ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. He also urged Pope Leo to "stop catering to the Radical Left" and to "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician."
Trump further claimed that the Pope only attained his position because "they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump," adding: "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."
Catholic Leaders Push Back
The attack drew a swift rebuke from Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, who stated: "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 the care of souls."
Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to begin an 11-day trip to Africa, starting with Algeria, on Monday, April 14. The Vatican has not issued a formal response to Trump's remarks.
