US president doubles down on criticism of pontiff, accusing him of weakness and political bias amid deepening rift with the Vatican.
No apology from the White House
Donald Trump has said on Tuesday he will not apologise for his remarks about Pope Leo XIV, intensifying an already fraught public dispute between the White House and the Vatican over foreign policy and moral authority.
Asked by a journalist whether he regretted his comments, the US president dismissed the suggestion outright. “Pope Leo said the wrong things. He was strongly against what I’m doing regarding Iran,” Trump said. “I’m simply responding to the Pope. There’s nothing to apologise for.”
Trump went further, accusing the pontiff of being weak on crime, as tensions between the two leaders continue to escalate. The row stems largely from disagreements over international policy, particularly Washington’s stance on Iran.
Pope’s call for peace
Pope Leo XIV, elected on May 8, 2025, used his first address from the Vatican to deliver the Regina Caeli prayer and call for an end to hostilities in Ukraine and Gaza. Since then, he has repeatedly urged restraint in global conflicts.
The divide sharpened in 2026 during a pre-Easter sermon, when the Pope criticised comments by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, who had likened a potential US-Iran confrontation to a battle “in the name of Jesus Christ.” The pontiff rebuked the framing, insisting that military dominance runs counter to the teachings of Christ.
Trump has responded with increasing hostility, accusing the Pope of pandering to “radical leftists” and suggesting, without evidence, that Leo XIV would not have ascended to the papacy without his support. The president later posted images depicting himself in the likeness of Jesus Christ, further fuelling controversy.
The exchange marks an unusual and highly personal conflict between a US president and a sitting pope, underscoring widening ideological divisions over war, religion and political influence on the global stage.
