Trump Slams Pope Leo XIV Over Iran Remarks, Says Pontiff Is “Weak on Crime”

Tensions between the White House and the Vatican have intensified after US President Donald Trump launched a sharp personal attack on Pope Leo XIV, criticising the pontiff’s calls for peace in the ongoing Middle East conflict and accusing him of interfering in global security matters.

The US president told reporters on Sunday that he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo, escalating a war of words that has grown alongside the pope’s repeated appeals for an end to violence in the region.

The remarks came after Pope Leo, speaking at St Peter’s Basilica, urged world leaders to end war and reject what he called the “idolatry of self and money,” in a strongly worded plea for peace amid rising global tensions.

Trump, however, took direct aim at the pontiff’s position on Iran’s nuclear programme, accusing him of “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.” He also described the pope as “a very liberal person” who, in his view, does not support strong action against crime.

Speaking at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump doubled down on his criticism, saying he is “not a big fan of Pope Leo” and accusing him of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”

The US president went further, suggesting Pope Leo’s election in 2025 was influenced by his American nationality, claiming some in the Vatican believed it would improve relations with Washington under his leadership.

Trump also asserted that without his presence in the White House, Leo would not have become pope — comments that quickly sparked international attention and renewed debate over political interference in religious affairs.

The confrontation extended online, where Trump posted additional comments on Truth Social reinforcing his stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions and rejecting the pope’s approach to diplomacy.

He also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself in religious imagery, a move that has previously drawn scrutiny after similar posts circulated from the White House.

Despite the heated exchange, both the Vatican and Washington have moved to downplay suggestions of an institutional rift.

The Vatican rejected reports of a confrontation between church officials and US defence representatives, dismissing claims of a heated exchange as inaccurate and misleading.

Officials on both sides insist diplomatic engagement remains intact, even as disagreements persist over key global issues, including migration policy, military intervention, and the war in the Middle East.

Pope Leo has previously condemned the Trump administration’s hardline deportation policies, describing them as “inhuman,” while also urging restraint in military actions involving Iran and Venezuela.

The latest exchange underscores widening ideological differences between the Vatican and the US administration at a time of heightened global instability.