US president Donald J. Trump has launched a sharp attack on Pope Leo, accusing him of weakness on crime and foreign policy in a strongly worded social media post.
In the lengthy message, Trump criticised the pontiff’s stance on global issues, saying, “Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,” while also accusing him of focusing on the “fear” of his administration without acknowledging restrictions faced by churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The former president claimed religious institutions were unfairly targeted at the time, alleging that authorities were “arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services,” even under distancing guidelines.
Trump further took aim at the pope’s perceived geopolitical views, stating, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon,” and criticised opposition to US foreign interventions, including actions involving Venezuela.
In a controversial assertion, he suggested the pontiff’s position was politically influenced, claiming, “If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” while describing the pope’s emergence as “a shocking surprise.”
The post also included personal remarks, with Trump saying he preferred the pope’s brother, whom he described as politically aligned with his “MAGA” movement, adding that the pontiff should “stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”
The comments have drawn attention for their unusually direct criticism of a Catholic leader by a former US president, highlighting tensions at the intersection of religion and politics, particularly as global debates over governance, faith and public policy continue to intensify.
