Trump Attacks U.S.-Born Pope Leo Over Iran War as Vatican Pushes Back
Pope Leo XIV says he has “no fear” of President Donald Trump after a public clash that is quickly spilling into U.S. political territory.
The tension began after Trump blasted the pope on social media, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy,” according to CBS News and Axios.
Leo responded hours later while traveling to Africa, saying he would continue speaking “loudly” about peace and the Gospel, emphasizing he is “not a politician.”
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The conflict centers on major issues including the Iran war and immigration, where the pope has criticized U.S. policy direction.
What makes this different is scale. A sitting U.S. president openly attacking a pope, especially the first American-born one, has few modern precedents, according to Reuters.
With millions of Catholic voters in the U.S., the clash is raising new questions about whether religious authority could shape messaging, turnout, and voter alignment heading into the midterms.
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