Donald Trump has issued a fresh verbal attack against Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of “endangering a lot of Catholics” because “he thinks it’s fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon”.
The remarks come two days before Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, meets Leo at the Vatican in an effort to ease the tensions sparked by Trump’s previous broadside against the Chicago-born pontiff over his condemnation of the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Speaking to Hugh Hewitt, a prominent conservative radio talkshow host on the US-based Salem News network, Trump said the pope “would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good”.
“I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,” the US president added. “But I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Somebody should inform Trump that it is just not done to attack the pope. To do so is in very bad taste. Furthermore, it is also wrong to try and drag the pope into politics. Popes are men of the cloth, theologians, who deserve respect and who are far above dirty politics. Trump should learn that this pope should be held in very high esteem, for Pope Leo is a man of great dignity. Trump should cease and desist.
But when it comes to endangering the lives of Catholics, Trump is without equal. Trump himself is endangering Catholics’ lives in Cuba every single day with his harsh sanctions on the country and having Cuba on his list of nations to punish after he has finished punishing Iran. Such hypocrisy! — © Mark Alexander
