US President Donald Trump has reignited a dispute with Pope Leo XIV. and accused the pope of putting Catholics at risk for comments related to Iran and nuclear weapons.
The remarks came during an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show when Trump discussed jailed Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai and his upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
When host Hugh Hewitt suggested the pope should also increase Lai’s rapprochement with Beijing, Trump suddenly moved to criticize the Vatican leader.
“The Pope would rather talk about it being OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.
“I don’t think it’s very good. I think it puts a lot of Catholics and a lot of people at risk.”
Trump added: “They think it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Controversy linked to the Iran war and nuclear tensions
Trump’s latest comments come after an escalating public rift between the US president and the pope over the Middle East conflict, immigration and global diplomacy.
Last month, Pope Leo XIV. criticized Trump’s warning that “the whole civilization will die” in Iran, calling such rhetoric “unacceptable”.
The comment deepened tensions between the White House and the Vatican at a time of heightened global concern over the Iran conflict.
Trump strikes back at the Pope
Trump has responded aggressively to the pope’s criticism in recent weeks, accusing him of weakness on key issues.
The US president reportedly described the Pope as: “WEAK on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy”.
The controversy further intensified after Trump shared an AI-generated image depicting Jesus healing the sick. The post drew criticism online, including from some Trump supporters and religious commentators.
Pope says he is “not afraid” of the Trump administration.
Despite the escalating rhetoric, Pope Leo XIV. he tried to avoid a direct confrontation with the American president.
The Pope recently said that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and emphasized that he does not want a personal political battle with Trump.
Rubio is preparing for a meeting in the Vatican
The renewed clash comes at a diplomatically sensitive moment as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepares to travel to Rome for a meeting with the Pope.
Rubio will visit Italy and the Vatican from May 6 to 8 to strengthen “bilateral relations with Italy and the Vatican,” according to the US State Department.
Rubio and the Pope are expected to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, including the situation regarding Iran.
The meetings could be especially significant given the growing public disagreements between Trump and the Vatican over war, diplomacy and nuclear tensions.
