When Pope Leo criticized Iran issue, Trump got angry, called the religious leader weak in crime and diplomacy.

Washington, April 13. Pope Leo XIV strongly criticized US President Donald Trump after the conflict with Iran and the failure of talks held in Pakistan. After this, the US President made a sharp attack on the Pope in a long social media post. Trump accused him of being lax in stopping crime. At the same time, he also strongly criticized the Pope’s views on foreign policy, Iran and America’s domestic issues. “Pope Leo is weak on crime and very bad at foreign policy,” Trump wrote on his Truth social platform.

This again increased tensions between the White House and the Vatican. In the post, Trump accused the Pope of focusing on criticism of his government while ignoring previous restrictions on religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump wrote, “The Pope talks about the ‘fear’ of my government, but he says nothing about the fear that the Church faced during the Corona period. At that time, priests and other people were being arrested for organizing prayer meetings in the Church.” President Trump also targeted the Pope’s opinion regarding Iran and said that he does not agree with what he (the Pope) described as softness.

“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” he said. Trump defended U.S. actions abroad, including Venezuela, and linked them to concerns about drugs and crime in the United States, writing, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s too bad that the United States invaded Venezuela, a country that was sending huge amounts of drugs into the United States. That country was emptying its prisons and sending criminals into our country.”

The criticism of the Pope did not stop here. President Trump made a personal attack by comparing the Pope to his brother. She added, “I like his brother Louis more than him because Louis is a total MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporter. He understands that and Leo doesn’t!” Trump defended his presidency, citing his election victory, crime reduction and economic performance, writing, “I am doing exactly what I was elected by an overwhelming majority to do, bringing record low crime numbers and creating the greatest stock market in history.”

In a shocking claim, Trump said the Pope’s election was linked to his own presidency. He said, “Leo should be thankful because he was a wonderful surprise for everyone. If I had not been in the White House, Leo would not have been in the Vatican.” He also criticized the Pope’s interactions with political figures and, referring to former adviser David Axelrod, said, “Leo must do his job as Pope properly.

Stop serving the radical left and focus on becoming a great Pope, not a politician.” The comments reflect a growing rift between Trump and the Vatican, with the two sides differing on issues ranging from war and diplomacy to immigration and domestic policy. The first American-born Pope, Pope Leo XIV, spoke out against the war in recent weeks. Along with this, he has appealed for restraint and dialogue in conflicts around the world including tensions related to Iran.