United States President Donald Trump on Sunday said he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo XIV following the pontiff’s recent public call for global peace and an end to violence.
Speaking to journalists at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump described the Pope as “a very liberal person” and accused him of taking a permissive stance on crime.
“I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a man that doesn’t believe in stopping crime,” Trump told reporters.
The US President further accused the pontiff of “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.”
His comments came after Pope Leo XIV, during a public address on Saturday at St. Peter’s Basilica, urged world leaders to embrace peace and reject violence.
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” the 70-year-old American Pope told worshippers.
Trump later reinforced his position in a post on his Truth Social platform, where he wrote: “I don’t want a Pope who think it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
The exchange comes amid recent denials from both Washington and the Vatican regarding claims of strained relations between the two sides.
On Friday, a Vatican official dismissed reports alleging that a senior Pentagon official had issued a stern warning to the Holy See’s envoy to the United States over the Pope’s criticism of the Trump administration.
The report, published by The Free Press and already rejected by the Pentagon as “distorted,” claimed that Cardinal Christophe Pierre was summoned in January to the Pentagon. It further alleged that he was reprimanded by US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Elbridge Colby.
According to the report, the military official told the cardinal that the United States “has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side.”
However, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni rejected the claim, stating: “The account presented by certain media outlets regarding this meeting does not correspond to the truth in any way.”
Despite both sides insisting that their interactions remain cordial, differences have emerged over key global issues. These include the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy, which the Pope described as “inhuman,” as well as the use of military force in the Middle East and Venezuela.
The Pope also criticised earlier remarks attributed to Trump concerning Iran, where he reportedly warned of severe consequences in the event of escalation. In response, Pope Leo described the statement as “truly unacceptable” and called for renewed negotiations.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo welcomed a reported ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, describing it as a “sign of real hope.”
However, peace talks between both countries reportedly collapsed on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan, after US Vice President JD Vance told reporters that Washington had presented its “final and best offer” following extended negotiations.
