Washington: US President Donald Trump has refused to apologise for his remarks against Pope Leo XIV, escalating tensions between the White House and the Vatican over the ongoing West Asia conflict. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office, Trump dismissed calls for an apology, asserting that his criticism of the pontiff was justified. “There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said. The US president reiterated his earlier remarks, describing Pope Leo XIV as “very weak on crime” and accusing him of making “things that are wrong” in response to US policy on Iran. Trump emphasised his administration’s hardline stance, arguing that Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. “You cannot have a nuclear Iran,” he said, adding that the Pope had opposed his approach to Tehran.
The remarks come amid a widening dispute between Washington and the Vatican, driven by differing positions on the US-Israeli conflict involving Iran. Pope Leo XIV has strongly criticised the war and framed his intervention as a moral obligation. “I have no fear, neither of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel,” the Pope said, underlining the Church’s commitment to peace advocacy. Quoting Christian teaching, he added, “The mission of the Church is very clear… blessed are the peacemakers.” The pontiff also sought to distance himself from direct political confrontation, stating that he had “no intention to debate” with Trump and describing himself as “not a politician.” However, he maintained that he had a “moral duty” to speak out against war and violence. Trump, in turn, has accused the Pope of interfering in foreign policy debates, further intensifying the rhetoric between the two leaders. He previously said he was “not a big fan of Pope Leo” and repeated claims that the pontiff was “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy.”
The controversy has been compounded by a separate incident involving Trump’s social media post. The US president deleted a post on Truth Social that depicted him as a Christ-like figure. The image, showing Trump with light emanating from his hands over a man lying in a hospital bed, drew widespread criticism across the political spectrum, including from sections of his conservative support base.
A screenshot of the now-deleted post circulated widely online. The post had been shared just hours after Trump issued a lengthy criticism of Pope Leo XIV, further highlighting the intensifying clash. With both sides standing firm, the dispute underscores a deepening divide between political authority and religious leadership over war, morality, and global diplomacy.
