US President Donald Trump has launched another attack on Pope Leo XIV and NATO.
In a statement posted on social media earlier this week, Mr Trump had previously claimed the Pope was “weak on crime and terrible at foreign policy”. In his message the US President also said, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons.”
Mr Trump then refused to apologize to the Pope, and then said that Leo XIV was “very weak on crime and stuff”, adding that he had “nothing to apologize for – he (the Pope) is wrong”. And then last night, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters over the last two months, and that Iran having a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. America is back!!! President Donald J. Trump.”
The comments came after the Pope, speaking during an evening peace prayer at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City on Saturday, issued a direct appeal to world leaders to return to dialogue.
Leading the service he said: “Enough of the idolatry of self and wealth! Enough of displays of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in the service of life.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, angering Mr Trump, commented on the war of words between Mr Trump and Pope Leo XIV, saying: “I find President Trump’s words about the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal for him to call for peace and condemn all forms of war.”
American commentator Harry Sissing said on X: “It’s midnight and Trump is blabbering about Pope Leo again. Someone put him to bed, he’s old.”
Mr Trump also expressed his anger at NATO for refusing to participate in offensive attacks against Iran. In a separate Truth Social post, he wrote: “NATO was not for us, and they will not be for us in the future!”
He had earlier branded the defensive alliance “shameful” over its refusal, as he once again criticized British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for his response.
