President Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV as ‘Weak on Crime’ and ‘Terrible for Foreign Policy’
Published on Reflecto News | World News | Politics & Religion
In an extraordinary and unprecedented broadside against the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on Pope Leo XIV, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” The president’s comments, posted on Truth Social and later repeated to reporters, escalated tensions between the White House and the Vatican following the pope’s recent criticisms of the US-Israeli war on Iran and the administration’s military actions abroad .
“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. 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. And I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States.” — President Donald Trump
Trump also expressed a personal preference for the pope’s brother, Louis, stating that Louis is “all MAGA” and “gets it, and Leo doesn’t” .
The Source of the Rift: War, Peace, and Nuclear Weapons
The public feud stems from Pope Leo’s increasingly vocal condemnation of the Trump administration’s强硬 stance during the six-week war with Iran. Leo, the first American-born pontiff, has repeatedly called for restraint, dialogue, and an immediate end to the bloodshed .
Key points of papal criticism:
- Condemnation of war rhetoric: Leo previously described Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as “truly unacceptable” .
- Rejection of divine justification for war: On Palm Sunday, the pope pushed back against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s framing of the war effort as divinely supported. “Jesus is the king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” Leo said. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them” .
- Call for an ‘off-ramp’: The pontiff has urged the president to find a diplomatic solution and “decrease the amount of violence” .
- Critique of the ‘delusion of omnipotence’: During a peace vigil on Saturday, Leo warned against a growing “culture of power and aggression,” stating that “true strength is shown in serving life” .
Trump’s latest comments came after three American cardinals known for their close ties to Leo criticized the administration’s Iran policy on CBS’s “60 Minutes” show .
‘He Owes His Position to Me’
In a striking claim, Trump suggested that the pope’s election to the highest office in the Catholic Church was a direct result of his own political success.
“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.” — President Donald Trump
The president argued that the Vatican selected an American pope specifically to manage relations with his administration, dismissing Leo’s qualifications and asserting that the pontiff “should be thankful” .
Defense of Venezuela Intervention and Domestic Policy
Trump used the attack to defend his administration’s military intervention in Venezuela, which resulted in the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in January. The pope had previously called for the “will of the Venezuelan people” to be respected following the US operation .
The president justified the attack by claiming Venezuela was “sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country” .
He also defended his domestic record, asserting that he was elected “IN A LANDSLIDE” to “set Record Low Numbers in Crime” and create “the Greatest Stock Market in History” .
An Unprecedented Attack
The level of personal animosity displayed by Trump towards the pope is highly unusual in American political history. Experts noted the rarity of such a direct assault on the leader of the Catholic Church.
Reactions from Catholic leaders:
- Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by Mr. Trump’s comments. “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,” he said in a statement .
- Massimo Faggioli, an expert on the papacy, compared the comments to efforts by the leaders of Germany and Italy during World War Two to draw the late Pope Pius XII to support their causes. “Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly,” said Mr. Faggioli .
The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the president’s remarks .
Trump’s Final Word: ‘Get His Act Together’
Concluding his lengthy social media tirade, the president offered unsolicited advice to the leader of the Catholic Church.
“Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!” — President Donald Trump
Speaking to reporters after arriving at Joint Base Andrews, Trump doubled down, saying, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world” .
The extraordinary exchange marks a significant escalation in the strained relationship between the White House and the Vatican, highlighting the deep divide over war, peace, and the role of morality in international affairs. It also mirrors the rocky relationship Trump had with Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, whom Trump once called “disgraceful” .
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why did President Trump attack Pope Leo XIV?
Trump criticized the pope over his stance on the Iran war and foreign policy, specifically accusing Leo of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” The attack follows the pope’s recent condemnation of Trump’s threats against Iran and his calls for peace .
2. What did Pope Leo say about the Iran war?
Pope Leo condemned Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as “truly unacceptable.” He has also stated that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them” and has called for an “off-ramp” to end the conflict .
3. What did Trump say about the pope’s brother?
Trump stated, “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn’t” .
4. Did Trump claim credit for the pope’s election?
Yes. Trump asserted that Leo was only elected because the Vatican needed an American to deal with him, stating, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican” .
5. How has the Catholic Church reacted?
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by the comments, emphasizing that the pope is “not a politician” but the “Vicar of Christ.” A leading papal historian noted that “not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly” .
6. What did Trump say about the pope’s views on Venezuela?
Trump rejected the pope’s criticism of the US intervention in Venezuela, claiming the country was “emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country” .
7. Has Trump attacked a pope before?
Yes. Trump had a rocky relationship with Pope Francis, calling him “disgraceful” in early 2016 after the pontiff suggested Trump was “not a Christian” .
Stay informed with Reflecto News – Your trusted source for breaking political and international intelligence. Subscribe for real-time updates on the growing rift between the White House and the Vatican, US foreign policy, and global religious affairs.