Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV, Rebuking Him as Weak on Crime and Having a Terrible Foreign Policy
U.S. President Donald Trump has lashed out at Pope Leo XIV, calling him 'weak on crime' and having a 'terrible foreign policy' after the pontiff criticized his diplomatic and immigration policies. The conflict highlights growing tensions between the political and religious leaders.
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- 📰 Published: April 13, 2026 at 12:22
- 🔍 Collected: April 13, 2026 at 12:51 (29 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 13, 2026 at 14:47 (1h 56m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Washington, 12th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) U.S. President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Pope Leo XIV tonight, calling him 'weak' on crime and his foreign policy 'terrible.' This followed Pope Leo XIV's criticism of Trump's foreign and immigration policies.
Reuters reported that Trump stated in a lengthy post on his social media platform, 'Truth Social': 'Pope Leo is weak on crime, and his foreign policy is also terrible.'
Pope Leo XIV, known for his cautious wording, has recently become an open critic of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. The conflict broke out on February 28, and both sides reached a two-week ceasefire agreement on the 7th of this month.
The Pope said that Trump's threat this month to destroy Iranian civilization was 'unacceptable.' He also called for a 'deep reflection' on the treatment of immigrants in the United States under the Trump administration.
Trump wrote in his post: 'Leo should properly fulfill his duties as Pope.'
According to Agence France-Presse, Trump later told the media at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland: 'I don't really like Pope Leo. He is very liberal and doesn't believe in stopping crime.' Trump also accused the Pope of being 'too rash in dealing with a country that wants nuclear weapons.'
Yesterday, the 70-year-old American-born Pope publicly pleaded with world leaders to end the violence, saying: 'Stop worshiping the self and money! Stop showing off power! No more war!' (Compiled by: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150413
(CNA Washington, 12th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) U.S. President Donald Trump launched a fierce attack on Pope Leo XIV tonight, calling him 'weak' on crime and his foreign policy 'terrible.' This followed Pope Leo XIV's criticism of Trump's foreign and immigration policies.
Reuters reported that Trump stated in a lengthy post on his social media platform, 'Truth Social': 'Pope Leo is weak on crime, and his foreign policy is also terrible.'
Pope Leo XIV, known for his cautious wording, has recently become an open critic of the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. The conflict broke out on February 28, and both sides reached a two-week ceasefire agreement on the 7th of this month.
The Pope said that Trump's threat this month to destroy Iranian civilization was 'unacceptable.' He also called for a 'deep reflection' on the treatment of immigrants in the United States under the Trump administration.
Trump wrote in his post: 'Leo should properly fulfill his duties as Pope.'
According to Agence France-Presse, Trump later told the media at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland: 'I don't really like Pope Leo. He is very liberal and doesn't believe in stopping crime.' Trump also accused the Pope of being 'too rash in dealing with a country that wants nuclear weapons.'
Yesterday, the 70-year-old American-born Pope publicly pleaded with world leaders to end the violence, saying: 'Stop worshiping the self and money! Stop showing off power! No more war!' (Compiled by: Chang Hsiao-wen) 1150413