The White House leader reacted harshly on Sunday evening after Pope Leo publicly criticized the US administration's immigration and foreign policy decisions, according to The Guardian.
“Papa Leon is WEAK on crime and disastrous on foreign policy,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The Sovereign Pontiff has become a critic of the conflict between the US and Israel against Iran, which began on February 28. The Pope described Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization as “unacceptable” and called for “deep reflection” on how migrants are treated in the US.
“Leon should come to his senses as Pope,” Trump continued, later telling reporters that he was not a “big fan” of the pontiff.
The president said he doesn't want a pope who thinks it's acceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons.
Trump also suggested in his post that Leon's election was intended to facilitate the Vatican's relationship with the US administration. “If I wasn't in the White House, Leon wouldn't be in the Vatican,” he wrote, accusing the Pontiff of favoring the “radical left” and behaving like a politician, not a religious leader.
Asked if God supports the war, Trump said yes, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged citizens to pray for victory.
In response, Pope Leo previously stated that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war”, referring to a biblical passage about hands “full of blood”
