Trump attacks Pope over Iran war stance

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On Sunday night former President Donald Trump used his Truth Social feed to denounce Pope Leo XIV, branding the pontiff “weak on crime” and “dangerous for foreign policy.” The post, which appeared amid fresh peace talks in Islamabad, accused the Vatican leader of pandering to the radical left and warned that his comments were “hurting the Catholic Church.” “Leo should stop acting like a politician and start being a great Pope,” Trump wrote, adding that the Pope’s criticism of the U.S.–Israeli campaign against Iran was “unacceptable.”

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” the former president declared.

The pontiff, the first U.S.-born pope, had earlier urged an end to “the idolatry of self and money” during a prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, calling for an immediate cease‑fire. Reuters reported that the Vatican’s office has not yet responded to Trump’s tirade. Trump also attacked the Pope’s stance on the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela, claiming the action was necessary to stop drug flows. He praised his own record, citing a ↓ 12% drop in national crime rates and a booming stock market. The archbishop of Baltimore, Paul S. Coakley, condemned the remarks, saying the Pope “is not a political rival” but “the Vicar of Christ.” AP News notes that Catholic voters remain a decisive bloc in upcoming elections, despite growing clerical criticism of Washington’s foreign policy.

Words by Eleanor Cross (Chief Washington Correspondent).