Trump takes aim at Pope Leo, calling him “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.”
President Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV in a long post on social networks Sunday evening, call the pontiff “WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy.”
Leo criticized the war in Iran and has previously made statements at odds with other Trump administration priorities, such as the ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK to Iran have a nuclear weapon. I don’t want a Pope who finds it terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs to the United States and, worse, emptying its prisons, including murderers, drug traffickers and killers, into our country,” Mr. Trump wrote.
Leo had called Mr. Trump’s threat to completely destroy Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable” and encouraged people to “contact the authorities – political leaders, members of Congress – to ask them, tell them to work for peace and reject war, always.”
On Saturday, although he did not mention Mr. Trump by name, Leo said at a prayer vigil for peace at St. Peter’s Basilica: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the show of force! Enough of the war! True strength is manifested in the service of life.”
Elisabetta Trevisan – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images 
He also called for ending the war through negotiation, saying: “Certainly, the leaders of nations have compelling responsibilities. We shout to them: stop! It’s time for peace! Sit at the tables of dialogue and mediation, not at the tables where rearmament is planned and death is deliberate!
The pope also criticized the war Friday in a social media post, writing: “God blesses no conflict. He who is a disciple of Christ, Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once brandished the sword and today drops bombs.”
And during last month’s Palm Sunday homily, Leo also appeared to criticize Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, saying Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.”
Mr. Trump also claimed Sunday that Leo would not have been elected pope without him, writing that he “was only put there by the Church because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
“I do not want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States,” Mr. Trump wrote.
“Leo should get his act together as pope, show some common sense, stop serving the radical left and focus on being a great pope, not a politician. This hurts him a lot and, more importantly, it hurts the Catholic Church!” said the president.
Mr. Trump reiterated several of his assertions to reporters Sunday evening after returning to Washington, D.C., saying, “We don’t like a pope who says it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.” »
“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,” Mr. Trump said, adding: “He’s a very liberal person.”
