Trump also made personal claims about the Pope’s rise, suggesting political motivations behind his selection and criticizing his engagement with figures linked to former President Barack Obama’s circle.
BY PC Bureau
April 13, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a blistering public attack on Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy post on Truth Social, escalating an already deepening rift between the White House and the Vatican.
In the post, Trump criticized the Pope’s positions on global conflicts, immigration, and nuclear policy, while also taking a personal swipe by praising the pontiff’s brother as more aligned with his “MAGA” ideology. The remarks mark one of the most direct and personal confrontations between a sitting U.S. president and a leader of the Roman Catholic Church in recent history.
Trump began by branding the Pope as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” directly rejecting Leo XIV’s recent comments expressing concern about the Trump administration. He argued that the Pope’s references to “fear” were misplaced, countering that Christian institutions—including the Catholic Church—faced greater restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, when, he claimed, clergy and worshippers were penalized for holding services even under socially distanced conditions.
The president then shifted to ideological differences, stating that he did not want a Pope who, in his view, was soft on major global threats. Trump accused Leo XIV of tolerating the possibility of Iran obtaining nuclear weapons—an assertion not backed by any explicit statement from the Vatican—and criticized him for condemning U.S. actions abroad, including alleged operations tied to Venezuela. Trump defended such actions as necessary responses to crime and drug trafficking affecting the United States.
In a strikingly personal turn, Trump contrasted the Pope unfavorably with his brother, saying he preferred him because of his support for the “MAGA” movement. He further questioned the legitimacy of Leo XIV’s elevation to the papacy, describing it as a “surprise” and suggesting—without evidence—that Church authorities chose him partly because he was American and seen as someone who could better manage relations with Trump.
Trump went on to assert that his own political success played a role in Leo XIV’s rise, claiming that without his presidency, the Pope “wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” He also took aim at the Pope’s interactions with political figures he opposes, singling out David Axelrod as an example of someone aligned with the political left.
Throughout the post, Trump repeatedly accused the Pope of aligning with “Radical Left” positions and urged him to “get his act together,” calling on him to focus on religious leadership rather than politics. He concluded by warning that the Pope’s approach was not only damaging his own standing but also harming the broader Catholic Church.
The message represents one of Trump’s most direct and personal criticisms of a sitting pope, underscoring a widening and increasingly public divide between his administration and the Vatican on issues ranging from global conflict to domestic governance.
Background: An unprecedented president–pope divide
The clash reflects a broader and increasingly public divide between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope in history. Since assuming the papacy, Leo has gradually emerged as a vocal critic of U.S. policies, particularly on war, migration, and humanitarian issues.
In recent weeks, the Pope has openly questioned the morality of military actions linked to the U.S. and its allies, warning against what he described as the misuse of religion to justify conflict. His appeals for peace — including calls to end hostilities involving Iran — have drawn sharp reactions from Trump, who has defended his administration’s actions as necessary for national security.
Tensions have also been fueled by disagreements over immigration, with the Pope advocating more humane treatment of migrants, contrasting with the administration’s stricter policies.
US President Donald Trump (@realDonaldTrump) on Truth Social posts, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had… pic.twitter.com/E2H70pXXtd
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 13, 2026
Escalation of rhetoric
Trump’s latest remarks go beyond policy disagreements, questioning the legitimacy of Pope Leo’s election and suggesting it was politically motivated — a claim for which there is no evidence. He also criticized the Pope for engaging with political figures he opposes and urged him to “focus on being a great Pope, not a politician.”
The Vatican has not yet issued an official response to Trump’s latest comments.
Analysts say the confrontation underscores a rare and significant clash between political and religious authority on the global stage. While disagreements between U.S. presidents and popes are not new, the intensity and personal nature of this exchange highlight how geopolitical conflicts — particularly involving Iran — are increasingly intersecting with moral and religious debates.
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With both leaders commanding vast global influence — one over U.S. policy and the other over more than a billion Catholics worldwide — the fallout from this dispute could shape both diplomatic narratives and public opinion in the weeks ahead.
