Pope Leo hits back at Donald Trump after US President's blistering criticism of 'weak on crime' Pontiff

Fintan Starkey
Mon, 13 Apr 2026 11:40:22 +0000

Pope Leo has declared his intention to keep condemning warfare despite a blistering overnight assault from Donald Trump on social media.

The Pontiff stated he had no desire to engage in arguments with the American president.

"I don't think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing," he said.

The leader of the Catholic Church added: "I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems."

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While travelling to Algeria, he reiterated his refusal to enter into direct confrontation with Mr Trump.

The Pontiff has consistently opposed the Iran conflict, previously describing Mr Trump's threat to annihilate Iranian civilisation as "unacceptable" and urging him to seek an "off-ramp" from hostilities.

Mr Trump launched his attack via Truth Social on Sunday, branding the Pope "WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy".

The Potus also took credit for the pontiff's elevation, writing: "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

He suggested the American-born Pope had been chosen specifically to manage relations with his administration.

Mr Trump further demanded that the Pontiff "should get his act together" and accused him of being "weak on nuclear weapons", an apparent reference to Tehran's atomic ambitions, which have been cited as justification for the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.

When pressed by journalists to clarify his remarks, Mr Trump responded: "I don't think he's doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess."

He characterised the Pope as "a very liberal person" who opposes efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation.

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The President's comments prompted condemnation from Catholics worldwide, with experts drawing stark historical parallels.

Massimo Faggioli observed: "Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly."

The comparison to fascist-era relations between the Vatican and authoritarian leaders underscores the unprecedented nature of Mr Trump's public assault on the Pontiff.

It remains unusual for any pope to respond directly to criticism from heads of state, making the exchange particularly remarkable.

The attack came as Pope Leo embarked on an 11-day African tour, his second significant overseas journey since his election last year.

The United States is home to more than 70 million Catholics, representing roughly a fifth of the population, including Vice-President JD Vance.

Pope Leo has repeatedly used public platforms to denounce global conflicts and call for restraint in the Middle East.

Beyond the Iran war, he has challenged Mr Trump's stringent immigration policies, questioning whether anyone supporting what he termed the "inhuman treatment of immigrants" could genuinely claim to be "pro-life".

The Pontiff is widely regarded as carrying forward the humanitarian approach established by his predecessor, Pope Francis.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Pope Francis declared that Mr Trump was "not Christian" owing to his hostile rhetoric towards migrants.

Mr Trump responded at the time by calling the late Pope "disgraceful".

The current tensions between the Vatican and Washington therefore represent a continuation of fraught relations stretching back nearly a decade.