President Donald Trump attacked trump pope on Sunday, escalating a public clash that began over the war in Iran. Speaking after returning to Washington from Florida, Trump said the first American pope was “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy. ” The exchange sharpened a rare confrontation between the White House and the Vatican on a day when Leo XIV had urged leaders to step back from war and negotiate peace.
Trump broadens his attack
Trump’s comments came on social media and then again in remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Sunday, April 12, 2026. He said, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon, ” and added, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo. ” The president also called Leo “a very liberal person. ”
The criticism followed a weekend message from Pope Leo XIV that condemned what he called the “delusion of omnipotence” fueling the U. S. -Israel war in Iran and urged political leaders to stop and negotiate peace. Leo delivered the message during an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica, while the United States and Iran had begun face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.
Why the pope’s words struck a nerve
The pope did not mention the United States or Trump by name. Still, his tone and message appeared aimed at Trump and U. S. officials, who have defended the war in religious terms and highlighted U. S. military superiority. That made the pope’s remarks a direct challenge in the middle of a widening fight over the conflict and its political meaning.
Trump responded by saying Leo should “stop catering to the Radical Left, ” pushing the dispute beyond the Iran war and into broader criticism of the pontiff’s stance. The back-and-forth turned a religious appeal for peace into a political flashpoint, with each side now reading the other’s message as a pointed rebuke.
Immediate reaction from both sides
Trump’s language was unusually harsh even for his public fights with critics. He said of Leo, “He’s a very liberal person, ” and repeated that he was “not a fan of Pope Leo. ” Those comments underscored that the issue for Trump is not only the pope’s message on Iran but also the perception that the Vatican is weighing in on U. S. politics.
On the Vatican side, Leo’s appeal centered on restraint and negotiation. His prayer called on leaders to stop the escalation, while avoiding direct mention of Trump or the United States. The tension now sits at the intersection of war, diplomacy, and moral authority, with both figures projecting very different messages to global audiences.
What comes next
Leo is scheduled to leave Monday for an 11-day trip to Africa, meaning the Vatican will soon shift to a different setting even as the feud remains active. For Trump, the clash with trump pope adds another high-profile confrontation tied to Iran and foreign policy, and it may keep drawing attention as the ceasefire and negotiations develop. For now, the dispute shows no sign of cooling.
