Trump Accuses Pope Leo of 'Endangering a Lot of Catholics' as Iran War Feud Deepens

President Donald Trump has sharply intensified his public criticism of Pope Leo XIV, accusing the American-born pontiff of 'endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people' over the pope's vocal opposition to the ongoing war in Iran while baselessly suggesting the Holy See considers it acceptable for Tehran to develop and possess nuclear weapons, according to The Guardian and The Irish Times.

The Details

During a May 5 interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Donald Trump launched a fresh broadside against Pope Leo XIV, claiming the pontiff was 'endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people,' and explicitly implying that the pope thinks 'it's fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,' according to reports from The Guardian and The Irish Times. These harsh remarks from the president came just two days before U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was scheduled to travel to Rome for a private audience with the pope at the Vatican on May 7, a high-level diplomatic meeting that both American officials and Vatican observers have viewed as an important attempt to cool the rising temperature between the White House and the Holy See.

Asked directly about Trump's latest criticism on May 6, Pope Leo XIV told reporters gathered at the Vatican that the church's mission is to 'preach the Gospel and peace,' and said that if anyone wishes to criticize him for proclaiming the Gospel, he invites them to do so. He also directly and forcefully rejected the president's implication that he supports Iranian nuclear armament, stating clearly that 'for years, the church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt about that,' according to America Magazine. The Hill separately reported that the pope and the Vatican have broadly urged an end to hostilities in Iran and a return to negotiations, and have not endorsed any Iranian pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Rubio has publicly sought to downplay the growing rift between the administration and the Holy See, framing his upcoming Vatican visit as an important opportunity for frank and candid dialogue about the serious disagreements over the Iran war and the pope's calls for peace, according to reports from America Magazine and The Hill.

Context

The May 5 interview remarks represent a sharp and personal escalation in an ongoing dispute that first became public on April 12, when Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social following earlier criticism of the pope's position on the Iran war, America Magazine reported. Trump's latest comments to Hewitt mark the second high-profile public attack on the pontiff in recent weeks. In previous public statements made before the latest Hewitt interview, Trump has called the pontiff weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy. Vice President JD Vance has also publicly criticized the pope's commentary on the conflict, according to The Hill. This heated exchange sits within a broader and more persistent pattern of White House-Vatican friction over matters of war, diplomacy and foreign policy in the Middle East.

What's Next

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV privately at the Vatican on May 7. The high-level diplomatic meeting is expected to directly address the administration's sharp disagreements with the Holy See over the Iran war and the pope's repeated public appeals for peace and a swift negotiated settlement to the ongoing conflict.