President Donald Trump renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV in an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make to the Vatican this week. In remarks made during the interview on Monday, Trump said the pope was helping Iran and that the pontiff was making the world “less safe” with comments Trump linked to how immigrants should be treated.
Trump also argued that Pope Leo should not be treated as a political ally on Iran policy. “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in the interview. Trump added, “And I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”
Pope Leo, however, has not said that Iran should obtain nuclear weapons. The pope has called for more peace talks and has criticized war with Iran in general, as well as Trump’s stated threats of mass civilian strikes, according to the reporting. The pope has also said his comments are rooted in biblical and church teachings rather than political rivalry with Trump.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Pope Leo responded to Trump’s latest criticism by saying the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.” The pope also reiterated his insistence that his calls for peace and dialogue in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran are biblically inspired, saying, “The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth.”
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, downplayed the rift. He told reporters that Trump’s recent criticisms are rooted in Trump’s opposition to Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon that Rubio said could be used against millions of Catholics and other Christians. Rubio said the “whole world should be opposed to that,” and later told reporters, “Trump ‘doesn’t understand why anybody — leave aside the pope — the president and I, for that matter, I think most people, I cannot understand why anyone would think that it’s a good idea for Iran to ever have a nuclear weapon.’”
The renewed comments may make Rubio’s task more difficult when he meets the pontiff on Thursday. Rubio has often faced pressure to tone down or explain Trump’s harsh rhetoric, particularly as it relates to Europe, NATO and the Middle East, and Trump’s dispute with the pope has domestic political implications as midterm congressional elections approach.
The tension has spilled beyond U.S. politics into Italy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, described as a long-time Trump ally, took exception to Trump’s comments about the pope, and Trump in turn criticized Meloni as his ire toward NATO allies expanded over what he sees as insufficient support for the Iran war. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani responded in a social media post saying the criticism was “neither acceptable nor helpful to the cause of peace,” and he wrote that he “reaffirm[s] my support for every action and word of Pope Leo,” saying Leo’s words testify to “dialogue,” the “value of human life,” and “freedom.”
Rubio is expected to meet with Meloni and Tajani on Friday after his trip that includes the Vatican visit. Trump and the pope’s public dispute also follows earlier rounds of clashes last month, when Trump assailed Pope Leo after the pontiff criticized aspects of Trump’s immigration policies and deportations and when Leo later said God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war.
Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington, and Winfield reported from Rome. Bill Barrow in Atlanta also contributed.