BREAKING: Pope Leo tells Trump “I have no fear” after he called the first American pope “WEAK” and “terrible”
Pope Leo XIV is not backing down. After President Trump unleashed a string of attacks on the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, calling him “WEAK on crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” the pontiff responded without flinching.
Speaking to reporters aboard the papal plane as he departed for an 11-day tour of Africa, Leo made his position crystal clear: he has no fear of the Trump administration and will continue calling for peace in accordance with the gospel.
Trump’s grievances spilled out publicly over the weekend, both to reporters at Joint Base Andrews and on Truth Social. He accused Leo of being soft on crime, claimed the pope endorsed nuclear weapons, and went so far as to suggest Leo only became pope because the Church wanted an American to manage relations with the White House. “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump posted.
The pope pushed back directly. “I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do,” Leo said. He clarified that the Church approaches peace differently than politicians do, but that his commitment to it runs deep.
The pope had previously condemned Trump’s threats to destroy Iranian civilization, calling strikes on civilian infrastructure a violation of international law, and had urged Americans to contact their representatives to demand an end to the war.
The Vatican was not alone in its pushback. Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was “disheartened” by the president’s comments, reminding Trump that the pope is not a political rival but the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel.
The criticism came as Trump also posted an image depicting himself with saint-like healing powers, a move that even former ally Marjorie Taylor Greene called “more than blasphemy” and an “Antichrist spirit.”
A recent NBC News poll found that Americans view Pope Leo significantly more favorably than they view Trump, with 42 percent holding a positive view of the pope compared to 41 percent for the president, and 53 percent holding a negative view of Trump.