Trump Defends Criticism of Pope Leo XIV in Ongoing Vatican Feud

President Donald Trump defended his criticism of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday, falsely claiming the pontiff had supported Iran’s right to possess nuclear weapons.

“The pope made a statement. He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters on the South Lawn before boarding Marine One. “I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

When pressed by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, Trump maintained, “I have nothing against the pope,” adding that he simply has “to do what’s right.” Despite this assertion, no record exists of Pope Leo XIV ever advocating for Iran’s nuclear armament.

The dispute marks the latest escalation in a growing rift between the White House and the Vatican that has captured international attention. The tension began with reports of a contentious meeting at the Pentagon in January and culminated in Trump’s social media outburst, where he labeled the American-born pontiff as “weak” on crime and “terrible” for foreign policy, urging him to “get his act together as pope.”

The president’s attacks follow Pope Leo’s consistent criticism of the Iran war. Earlier this month, the pontiff condemned what he called a “delusion of omnipotence” leading to “absurd and inhuman violence” in “the sacred places of the Christian East.”

In a rare direct response to Trump’s criticisms, Pope Leo told reporters Monday that he had “no fear” of the Trump administration and would continue speaking against conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.

During Thursday’s impromptu press conference, Trump referenced “42,000 people that were killed over the last two or three months, protesters with no weapons, no nothing,” suggesting this justified his disagreement with the pope. This figure, however, appears to be significantly inflated compared to most credible estimates of Iranian protest casualties since January, which, while still in the thousands, are considerably lower.

The Iran conflict has seen shifting objectives from the Trump administration. Initially framed as support for Iranian protesters after the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28, Trump urged Iranians to “take back your country,” promising American assistance. Since then, stated goals have expanded to include destroying Iran’s ballistic missiles, eliminating their navy, and preventing nuclear weapons development.

Far from supporting Iranian nuclear ambitions, Pope Leo has consistently advocated for global nuclear disarmament. In June 2025, amid tensions between Iran and Israel, he called for “responsibility and reason” and “a safer world, free from the nuclear threat.” During commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings last July, he described nuclear weapons as offending “our shared humanity.”

The pontiff has also urged international leaders, particularly those from Russia and the United States, to maintain the New START treaty aimed at controlling nuclear proliferation. “The current situation requires that everything possible be done to avert a new arms race that would further threaten peace among nations,” he stated in February.

In March, Pope Leo reinforced his position on social media, inviting followers to pray “that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.”

This public disagreement highlights the tension between Trump’s aggressive stance toward Iran and the Vatican’s persistent calls for peaceful resolution of conflicts and nuclear disarmament. As the situation continues to develop, it represents a significant diplomatic challenge between two major world figures with fundamentally different approaches to international relations and conflict resolution.