Trump Feuds With Pope Leo XIV Over Iran War and Immigration
An escalating clash between President Trump and Pope Leo XIV — the first American-born pope — has emerged as one of the defining conflicts of 2026. The feud spans two fronts: Leo's condemnation of the Iran war (calling Trump's threats "truly unacceptable" and denouncing a "delusion of omnipotence") and his criticism of mass deportation policies as "extremely disrespectful." Trump responded with an extraordinary broadside, calling Leo "very liberal," "weak on crime," and "terrible for foreign policy," and claiming "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican." The Vatican canceled a planned 250th anniversary visit over foreign policy disagreements.
“I was taken a little bit aback, just honestly, frankly, by something that he said about those who engage in war, that Jesus doesn't hear their prayers. There's something called the just war doctrine. There's a time to every purpose under heaven. I'm not one to criticize clerics — a pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want. But obviously if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response, and I think the pope's received some of that. These are matters that people of good faith and good sense can debate and think through.”