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Trump Falsely Claims Pope Supports Iranian Nuclear Weapons
President Donald Trump has escalated his criticism of Pope Leo XIV with a demonstrably false claim about the pontiff’s position on nuclear weapons, particularly regarding Iran.
During an interview with CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins, Trump denied he was “fighting with the pope” while simultaneously making an inaccurate assertion about the religious leader’s stance. “The pope made a statement. He says, Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump claimed.
Collins immediately challenged this mischaracterization, as no such statement from Pope Leo exists. In fact, the historical record shows the opposite: Pope Leo has consistently advocated for global nuclear disarmament and specifically warned about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
The U.S.-born pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost before his election in May 2025, has established a clear position against nuclear weapons. When tensions between Israel and Iran approached a breaking point in June 2025, Pope Leo called for “responsibility and reason,” urging nations to pursue “a safer world, free from the nuclear threat” through dialogue rather than confrontation.
Pope Leo’s statements have consistently emphasized disarmament. In July 2025, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, he described the cities as “living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons.” He further declared that “nuclear arms offend our shared humanity” and rejected “the illusion of security founded on mutually assured destruction.”
The Vatican has maintained this position through diplomatic channels as well. In October 2025, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s representative to the United Nations, called the elimination of nuclear weapons “not an unrealistic prospect, but a possibility and an urgent moral imperative.”
Pope Leo has also specifically addressed nuclear deterrence theory, stating in January 2026 that it “is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice and trust, but on fear and domination by force.” In February 2026, he urged the United States and Russia to extend the New START nuclear arms treaty, describing it as “a significant step in containing the proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
As recently as March 2026, the pope publicly called for nations to “move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament,” encouraging world leaders to choose “dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.”
Despite this well-documented record of anti-nuclear advocacy, Trump’s accusations against the pope have intensified. In a social media post Sunday night, Trump wrote, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.” He later told reporters, “We don’t like a pope that’s gonna say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon.”
While these earlier claims about what the pope supposedly thinks or might say in the future were difficult to definitively refute, Trump’s latest assertion that Pope Leo has already made statements supporting Iranian nuclear weapons is demonstrably false.
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, who has also spoken out against the war the United States and Israel launched against Iran in late February. However, the pope’s calls for diplomatic solutions to the conflict should not be conflated with support for nuclear proliferation.
The Vatican has consistently advocated for peaceful resolution of conflicts while maintaining its longstanding opposition to the development, possession, and potential use of nuclear weapons by any nation, including Iran.
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9 Comments
As someone who follows energy and geopolitics closely, I can say with confidence that the Pope has consistently advocated for nuclear disarmament, not proliferation. This seems like a clear-cut case of the President misrepresenting the facts.
This is yet another example of the President making unfounded claims. The historical record clearly shows the Pope has taken a strong stance against nuclear weapons, especially in the Middle East. Spreading misinformation is unproductive.
Agreed, the President should be more careful about making such inflammatory statements without verifying the facts. Responsible leadership requires acknowledging mistakes, not doubling down on falsehoods.
Disappointing to see such a blatant falsehood from the President. The Pope has been a consistent advocate for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. I hope this doesn’t escalate tensions further.
While I’m no fan of the Pope’s views, the President is simply wrong here. The Vatican has been unequivocal in its opposition to nuclear proliferation. Distorting the facts to score political points is unbecoming of the office.
This is disappointing but not surprising. The President has a history of making false claims and refusing to correct the record. In this case, the evidence clearly shows the Pope has been a vocal opponent of nuclear weapons, not a supporter of them.
I’m curious to see how this develops. The President’s claim directly contradicts the Pope’s well-documented position on nuclear weapons. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and this doesn’t escalate into a broader conflict.
Agreed, it’s important to maintain open dialogue and avoid further inflaming tensions. The Pope’s stance on nuclear non-proliferation is well-established, and the President would do well to acknowledge the facts rather than make unsubstantiated assertions.
As someone who follows energy and geopolitics, I can say with confidence that the President’s claim is simply not true. The Pope has been a consistent advocate for nuclear disarmament, not proliferation. Spreading misinformation is counterproductive and concerning.