President Trump is again taking aim at Pope Leo XIV, this time claiming the pontiff is "endangering a lot of Catholics" by supposedly thinking "it's fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon." In an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump said Leo "would rather talk about" allowing Iran nuclear arms, a stance the pope has never actually endorsed, the Guardian reports. Leo has instead consistently denounced the US-Israeli war on Iran and the broader regional escalation, pressing for ceasefires and negotiations.
The latest jab lands just ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's meeting with Leo at the Vatican, a visit meant to cool tensions after Trump earlier branded the pope "weak" and "soft on crime." Last month, Trump also shared an AI image that depicted him as Jesus. He deleted it after an outcry but claimed it had portrayed him as a doctor. US ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch predicted a "frank" but constructive meeting, rejecting talk of a major rupture between Washington and the Vatican. "Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is … through fraternity and authentic dialogue," Burch said, per Reuters.
Rubio, a practicing Catholic, is expected to meet Leo on Thursday or Friday, the AP reports. He will also see Italy's leadership, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom Trump recently berated over her support for Leo and criticism of his remarks. Rubio was present at Leo's inaugural mass last year, as was Vice President JD Vance. The vice president, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, also challenged Leo's anti-war remarks last month, saying it is "very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology."
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