Trump Suddenly 'Attacks' Pope Leo XIV, Says This

US President Donald Trump has published a lengthy social media post criticising Pope Leo XIV. He even described him as “weak in handling crime” and “bad for foreign policy”.

This unusual “attack” on the head of the Catholic Church follows Pope Leo’s statement urging an end to the war in Iran and stating that a “delusion of omnipotence” is driving the conflict.

Although he did not name Trump, the statement appears to be directed at the US president and other officials who have boasted about US military power and justified the war on religious grounds.

“I do not want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, quoted on Monday (13/4/2026).

“Leo must correct his behaviour as Pope, use common sense, stop serving the radical left, and focus on being a great Pope, not a politician,” he added.

Trump also claimed credit for Pope Leo’s election, stating that the church chose the first US-born pope - elected last year - to curry favour with the White House.

“If I were not in the White House, Leo would not be in the Vatican,” Trump said again.

Trump repeated the same during his time at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, US, with reporters, stating that he is not a fan of the Pope, as reported by AFP.

“I am not a big fan of Pope Leo. He is a very liberal person, and he is someone who does not believe in stopping crime,” Trump told reporters, accusing the Pope of “toying with countries that want nuclear weapons”.