Trump Strongly Criticises Pope Leo XIV for Condemning US-Iran War

‘We don’t like a Pope who says it’s okay to have nuclear weapons… He is someone who doesn’t think we should mess around with a country that wants nuclear weapons so they can blow up the world,’ Trump told reporters, as reported by CNN on Monday (13/4/2026). ‘I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,’ he added. Pope Leo is the first American Pope, who has been vocal about the US and Israel’s war with Iran. Last week, he condemned Trump’s rhetoric and threats against the Iranian people, stating it was ‘truly unacceptable.’ Previously, Trump posted a lengthy criticism of Pope Leo on Truth Social. He called Pope Leo weak. ‘Pope Leo is weak on crime, and bad for foreign policy,’ Trump wrote, while saying he did not want a Pope who thinks Iran should have nuclear weapons or who believes that ‘America attacking Venezuela is a terrible thing.’ ‘And I don’t want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States,’ he added. Trump then claimed that Pope Leo ‘was not on the list to become Pope, and was only placed there by the Church because he is American, and they thought it would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.’