US President Donald Trump has issued a sharp and highly unusual rebuke of Pope Leo XIV, saying he does not believe the head of the Catholic Church is “doing a very good job” and accusing him of political bias after the pontiff criticised aspects of the US-Israel war in Iran.
Speaking to reporters after returning to Washington from Florida, Trump said: “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo,” escalating earlier comments made on social media in which he accused the pope of being “a very liberal person” and suggested he should “stop catering to the Radical Left.”
AP cited on Monday that the confrontation follows remarks attributed to Pope Leo over the weekend, in which he warned that a “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelling the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
While Popes and US administrations have often differed in tone and approach, direct public exchanges of this nature are rare.
In a lengthy post, Trump wrote: “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” adding, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
He reiterated the same position in remarks to reporters, saying: “We don’t like a pope who says it’s OK to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also broadened his criticism beyond Iran policy, writing: “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States.”
He added: “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do,” referencing his 2024 election victory.
In further comments that heightened diplomatic and religious sensitivities, Trump suggested the pontiff’s election may have been politically motivated, writing: “He also suggested in the post that Leo only got his position “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.””
Trump continued: “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” adding: “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!”
On the tarmac after landing, Trump reinforced his criticism, telling reporters: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess” and describing the pontiff as “a very liberal person.”
Pope Leo, who is due to begin an 11-day trip to Africa, has recently made remarks opposing the framing of the Iran conflict in moral or religious terms.
He has said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them,” and cited biblical passages warning that prayers are not heard when hands are “full of blood.”
The pontiff also previously condemned earlier rhetoric from the US president during the escalation of the conflict, describing threats of large-scale strikes as “truly unacceptable.”
The exchange underscores growing tensions between the Vatican and the US administration over the conduct of the Iran conflict, with Trump’s government repeatedly defending its military posture and framing it in national security terms.
Trump administration officials have also invoked religious language in support of US policy. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has urged Americans to pray for victory “in the name of Jesus Christ,” while Trump himself has said he believes divine approval supports his actions, stating:
“I do, because God is good — because God is good and God wants to see people taken care of.” - April 13, 2026
