United States President Donald Trump has said he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff urged global leaders to end violence and pursue peace.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday, Trump described the pope as a “very liberal person” and accused him of failing to support efforts to curb crime. The remarks came shortly after the Catholic leader made a strong appeal against war during a gathering at St. Peter’s Basilica.
“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, adding that the pontiff was “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.”
The criticism followed the pope’s weekend address to worshippers, in which he called on world leaders to halt escalating conflicts and reject what he described as the “idolatry of self and money” and the display of power through war.
Trump later reinforced his comments in a post on the social media platform Truth Social, writing that he did not want a pope who believed it was acceptable for Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.
Despite the heated rhetoric, officials in both Washington and the Vatican have sought to downplay suggestions of a major diplomatic rift. A Vatican spokesperson recently dismissed reports that a senior Pentagon official delivered a harsh rebuke to the church’s envoy to the United States during a meeting earlier this year.
The Vatican said the account circulating in some media outlets “does not correspond to the truth in any way,” stressing that the meeting had been cordial.
Nevertheless, differences between the two sides have surfaced repeatedly in recent months. The Holy See has criticised the Trump administration’s hardline deportation policy, describing mass expulsions of migrants as “inhuman.”
The pope has also spoken out against threats of military escalation in the Middle East, urging dialogue and negotiations instead of confrontation. His call for peace followed tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran and the United States.
Earlier this month, Pope Leo welcomed news of a temporary ceasefire between the two countries, describing it as a “sign of real hope.” However, negotiations aimed at securing a lasting agreement ended abruptly in Islamabad after U.S. officials said they had presented their “final and best offer” to Tehran.
The public exchange highlights an unusual clash between a U.S. president and the head of the Catholic Church, with both sides defending sharply different approaches to diplomacy, security and global conflict.
