Trump Accuses Pope of ‘Endangering a Lot of Catholics’ with Iran Stance

THE GUARDIAN: US president directs fresh criticism at pontiff days before secretary of state Marco Rubio’s visit to Vatican

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.”
Leo has never said that Iran should have nuclear weapons, but has repeatedly opposed the war on the country and the subsequent escalation of the conflict in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, calling for ceasefires and dialogue. » | Angela Giuffrida in Rome |Tuesday, May 5, 2026

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

MAGA Pastor Completely Humiliated by Laughing Panel as He's Totally Out of His Depth

Apr 20, 2026 | Donald Trump’s disastrous and unwinnable war with Iran is finally fracturing his own base, and the entire meltdown just spilled onto live television.

In this massive, unedited 21-minute masterclass, commentators Wajahat Ali and Tim Miller systematically dismantle a pro-Trump MAGA pastor, exposing how Trump’s broken promises and unhinged feud with the Pope are destroying his coalition from the inside out.

When the pastor attempts to defend the administration’s chaotic foreign policy and Pete Hegseth’s bizarre biblical justifications, Wajahat Ali delivers one of the most brutal live takedowns in recent memory.

As gas prices soar and the "America First" coalition splinters—with figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens defecting—Trump is left isolated in a forever war he promised never to start.

This video breaks down the explosive panel exchange, the devastating reality of Trump’s catastrophic Middle East blunders, and why the MAGA coalition is experiencing a total meltdown in real-time.


Trump is a DISGRACE. He should be REMOVED from office WITHOUT DELAY. — © Mark Alexander

Pope Leo Backs Away from Trump Standoff | DW News

Apr 18, 2026 | Pope Leo has seemingly backed away from what many saw as a war of words with Donald Trump. Speaking to journalists on a flight from Angola to Cameroon, he said he had no interest in debating the US president. After one of the most explosive church-state clashes in modern history, is this a principled position or a tactical retreat? From "no fear" to "no debate," what changed for the American who leads the Catholic Church? America Magazine Vatican correspondent Colleen Dulle provides the analysis.

“Leo from Chicago” – Documentary

Nov 10, 2025 | The Vatican media documentary about the roots of Robert Francis Prevost in his native United States. It follows an itinerary that begins with his childhood in Dolton, through the memories of his brothers Louis and John, and continues among schools and universities, communities and parishes, featuring the voices of confreres, teachers, classmates, and long-time friends.

A production of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Apostolate El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE), broadcast on the official channels of Vatican Radio – Vatican News.

JD Vance Just Lost It as Catholic Bishops Drop a Bomb on Him!

April 16, 2026

JD Vance's time would be better spent applying his eyeliner rather than spending it lecturing the pope in matters of theology! 😊 — © Mark Alexander

Pope Leo: ‘World Is Being Ravaged by a Handful of Tyrants’ amid Row with Trump | DW News

Apr 17, 2026 | The Pope is usually known for preaching peace - but that message has him embroiled in a war of words with the US President. Pope Leo has emerged as a vocal critic of the US and Israeli military strikes on Iran - putting him at odds with Donald Trump. Just days after being insulted by Trump, the Pope is still speaking out - telling the faithful on his tour of Africa that the 'world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants'.

Why Is Donald Trump Picking a Fight with the Pope?

Here’s your answer.

This Wonderful Pope…

…rejects war. We should be working for peace, he says.

Lawrence: Trump, Who Failed to Buy Stormy Daniels’ Silence, Now Seeks Iran Deal He Ripped Up

Apr 17, 2026 | Pope Leo issued a warning against those "who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economical, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth." MS NOW's Lawrence O'Donnell explains why most of the world interpreted that as a description of Donald Trump, the irreligious man in the White House.

How could American voters have been so stupid and naïve as to not only elect, but also re-elect, Trump into office? How could they not have had the foresight to see and to imagine the misery that man would bring them if voted into office? One look at Trump should have been enough to put any switched on American off voting for him. After all, Trump’s character flaws are there, written all over him, for all the world to see. — © Mark Alexander

Hegseth Faces Impeachment Pressure Over Iran Rhetoric | Anita Powell

Apr 16, 2026 | “We’ll see how that proceeds on Capitol Hill.”

Hegseth’s “posturing” and return to “controversial threats” towards Iran are exactly what have “led to articles of impeachment”, says US reporter Anita Powell.

Why Has US President Donald Trump Fallen Out with the Pope? | The Global Story

Pope Leo XIV has said he has “no fear of the Trump administration”, after his criticism of the Iran war drew scorn from President Donald Trump.

On Sunday, the US President called the Pope “weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy”, and posted a now-deleted AI image of himself depicted as a Christ-like figure. The posts caused outrage among Catholics and the religious right, but he has said he will not apologise to the Pope.

We speak to BBC presenter and author Edward Stourton, who has reported on religious affairs and US politics for decades, about what happens when an American president takes on an American Pope.

Pope Leo Shares Message of Unity amid Spat with Trump: ‘We Can Live in Peace’

THE GUARDIAN: Leo doubles down on his message of peace as Trump and JD Vance continue to squabble with and insult the Vatican

Screenshot taken from this Guardian article. | Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Yaoundé-Nsimalen international airport in Cameroon on Wednesday. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/AP
The ongoing squabble between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the war in Iran took another twist on Wednesday when Pope Leo shared a message of peace and healing after the latest angry broadside from the White House.

On Tuesday, JD Vance capped several days of insults by insinuating the pontiff was not being truthful in matters of theology, and did not understand the concept of war.

“How can you say that God is never on the side of those who wield the sword?” the vice-president said during a Turning Point USA event at the University of Georgia, at which he was heckled by anti-war protesters. » | Richard Luscombe and agency | Wednesday, April 15, 2026

I am not a Roman Catholic, but in my estimation, for what it's worth, I think that the Catholic Church and the world are truly blessed to have such a wonderful pope. — © Mark Alexander

Trump 'Shocked' by Italian PM as She Defends Pope Leo and Denounces Iran War | ABC NEWS

Apr 15, 2026 | Donald Trump has lashed out at Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after she expressed solidarity with Pope Leo. Meloni was considered a close ally of Trump. She attended his inauguration and visited Mar-a-Lago. The US President gave several critical remarks to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera in which he criticised the right-wing prime minister for not supporting the US-Israel war in Iran.

In Leo, Trump Faces a Different Kind of Papal Opponent

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Unlike his predecessor, Pope Leo XIV enjoys growing support from a broad swath of conservative Catholics.

Donald Trump ascended to office 10 years ago while publicly jousting with Pope Francis, who was routinely making headlines for the progressive Catholicism he elevated, pushing the Roman Catholic Church to focus on climate change and the rights of immigrants. The pope suggested that Mr. Trump was “not Christian”; Mr. Trump fired back that Francis was “disgraceful.”

Mr. Trump capitalized on growing discontent among conservative Christians and won the White House. The chasm only further widened between the Vatican and conservative American Catholics, who often saw in Mr. Trump a champion.

Pope Leo XIV, who was elected less than a year ago, is not Francis. For Mr. Trump, who is now in his second term, he presents a new foil at the Vatican with a markedly different standing among Catholics. As the first American in the seat of St. Peter, he has a native fluency in American politics and culture, and his leadership is supported across broad swaths of the American church.

This new dynamic was at play in a pointed exchange on Sunday night and Monday, when Mr. Trump unleashed a tirade on social media against Leo, who then stood his ground. » | Elizabeth Dias and Motoko Rich | Elizabeth Dias, the national religion correspondent, reported from Washington. Motoko Rich, the Rome bureau chief, reported from Algiers, where she is traveling with Pope Leo XIV. | Tuesday, April 14, 2026

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Vance Says the Pope Should Be More Careful When Talking About Theology

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The vice president, who is Catholic, took issue with Pope Leo XIV’s statement that disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Vice President JD Vance invoked World War II on Tuesday to defend the U.S. bombing of Iran from criticism by Pope Leo XIV, extending the Trump administration’s spat with the Catholic Church and underlining the White House’s struggle to justify an unpopular war.

Mr. Vance, who is Catholic, told a conservative audience at the University of Georgia that the pope was wrong to say that disciples of Christ are “never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

“Was God on the side of the Americans who liberated France from the Nazis?” Mr. Vance said after referring to the pope’s comment. “I certainly think the answer is yes.”

President Trump has appeared stung by Leo’s condemnation of the war, criticism that has highlighted the challenge the administration faces from the coalition of conservative and religious voters who helped elect Mr. Trump in 2024. The president lashed out at the pope on Sunday in a social media post that called the first American-born pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” » | Anton Troianovski | Reporting from Washington | Tuesday, April 14, 2026

For JD Vance to question Pope Leo's understanding of theology is truly the height of insolence. JD Vance is being impudent, impertinent, and he is showing extremely bad form. How shameless can one be? — Mark Alexander

What's the Fallout from the Dispute between Trump and Pope Leo? | Inside Story

Apr 14, 2026 | Already fraught, the relationship between the US and the Vatican is getting worse. It's the result of an unusual public exchange between President Donald Trump and Pope Leo. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church spoke out against the Iran war, drawing a backlash from the US leader.

But Pope Leo has remained defiant, saying he isn't afraid of the Trump administration.

It's not the first time the White House has been on the receiving end of criticism from the Vatican. So, is this political interference or a moral duty to speak out? And what are the consequences?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Cornel West -- Professor and Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at the Union Theological Seminary
Adolfo Franco -- US Republican strategist
Christopher White -- Vatican journalist and author of a book on Pope Leo

Democracy Now! President vs. Pope: Trump Posts Picture of Self as Jesus; Pope Says Warmakers Have “Hands Full of Blood”

Apr 14, 2026 | The first-ever pope from the United States is clashing with the White House. Pope Leo XIV, head of the Catholic Church, which counts more than a billion people in the world as its members, has spoken out forcefully against war. He said in his Palm Sunday address that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war … [whose] hands are full of blood.” In response, President Donald Trump said Pope Leo is “weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.” Trump is also under fire for sharing an AI-generated image that appears to show himself as Jesus Christ. Pressed about the controversy in an interview on Fox News, Trump’s Catholic Vice President JD Vance said the pope should “stick to matters of morality.”

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Trump’s Latest Depiction as Jesus Christ Is ‘Deeply Offensive’ | Michael Gove

Apr 14, 2026 | “It's just not constant with the dignity of the president of the United States to compare himself to our Lord and Saviour in the same way as is not appropriate for the leader of the free world to say that he's going to end the civilisation if he doesn't get his way.”

Trump’s depiction of himself as Jesus Christ is “deeply offensive” says former Conservative Cabinet minister Michael Gove.

Influential U.S. Cardinals Caution against Iran War, Trump Immigration Policies

Apr 13, 2026 | In the months since his election, Pope Leo has spoken up against both the war in Iran and the mass deportation of migrants in the U.S. His statements have inspired American cardinals to speak out.

Trump’s Pope Spat Is a Serious Error with His Key Supporters | David Charter

Apr 14, 2026 | "He’s back-pedalling as fast as he can."

Trump has made a major "misstep" by picking a fight with the Pope, drawing "a lot of criticism" from people who are usually supportive, says The Times’s David Charter.