Pope on plane – Pope Leo XIV hit back on Monday after President Donald Trump sharply criticized the first US leader of the Catholic Church as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”.
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Leo, who has been unusually direct in his criticism of the US and Israel’s war with Iran, told NBC News that he has “no fear of the Trump administration” and vowed to continue his appeals for peace, which he said were rooted in the gospel.
Trump criticized the Pope while talking to reporters On social media.
“I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. I think he likes the offense,” the president told NBC News at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, late Sunday night.
Trump said, “We don’t like a Pope who says it’s OK to have nuclear weapons. We don’t want a Pope who says it’s OK to have crime in our cities. I don’t like that. I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo.”
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NBC News asks Pope Leo about Trump’s comments
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He previously posted on Truth Social That “Pope Leo is weak on crime, and terrible on foreign policy.”
“Leo should be grateful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He was not on any list to be pope, and was put in place by the Church only because he was an American, and they thought it would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump said.
The Pope reacted while traveling to Algeria on Monday for the first stop of an 11-day tour of four African countries.
Speaking on the papal plane, the Pope said, “I have no fear of the Trump administration, or any fear of speaking out loud the message of the Gospel, I believe that I am here to do what the Church is here to do.”
He added: “We are not politicians, we do not look at foreign policy from a perspective that they can understand, but as a peacemaker I believe in the message of the gospel.”
On the flight, he told reporters that Algeria was “a very special trip for me” because it was the home of St. Augustine, who was the inspiration for Leo’s religious spirituality. “He was a bridge of interreligious dialogue, so we must continue to build bridges and reconciliation for all people,” the Pope said.
Trump’s heavy criticism has not stopped the Pope from continuing to speak out against the war.
On his arrival in Algiers, the capital of a country ravaged by war in the past, the Pope stopped at the monument of independence from French rule and said that as conflicts continue to grow around the world, we cannot add resentment to resentment.
The Pope last week criticized Trump’s public threats to “wipe out” Iranian civilization, saying “attacks on civilian infrastructure are against international law” and urging people to contact leaders and members of Congress for peace.
He has urged Trump to end the war with Iran, and he lamented in his Easter message last week that the world is “becoming desensitized” to violence. Leo also criticized the immigration policies of the Trump administration.
In a brief statement Sunday night, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the pope’s criticism of Trump.
“I am disappointed that the President decided to write such derogatory words about the Holy Father,” Coakley wrote. “Pope Leo is not his opponent; nor is the Pope a politician. He is a vicar of Christ who speaks for the truth of the gospel and for the care of souls.”
Trump separately posted a photo Sunday night depicting himself as having saint-like powers similar to Jesus Christ.
Dressed in Biblical-style attire, Trump is seen placing his hands on a man lying in bed and light emanating from his fingers. A soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man wearing a baseball cap look up at American landmarks and a sky filled with eagles and an American flag in the background.
The post sparked controversy from several high-profile conservatives, including former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a former Trump aide turned critic.
“This is more than blasphemy,” he said. on x, Trump’s response to the post was “This is an anti-Christ.”
The photo was later removed from Trump’s page. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the removed post.
Trump has not always been critical of Leo. At the time, Trump called the Pope’s election in May “an honor for our country.”
He said at the time, “It’s a great honor for our country to be the American Pope. I mean, what could be a greater honor than that? We were a little surprised by it, very pleased. But it’s a great, absolutely great honor.”
A March NBC News Poll found that American voters view Leo more favorably than Trump. Forty-two percent of respondents said they had a positive opinion of the Pope, while only 8% had a negative opinion of him. While 41% of respondents said they had positive views of Trump, 53% said they had negative views of him.
Claudio Lwanga reported aboard the papal plane, and Tara Prindiville and Raquel Coronel Uribe reported from Washington.
