President Donald Trump has reignited his public feud with Pope Leo XIV, accusing the first American pope of “endangering a lot of Catholics” during an interview on Monday, June 10, 2024.
The comments came on The Hugh Hewitt Show, where Hewitt suggested the pope might address China’s detention of Hong Kong billionaire Jimmy Lai. Trump responded with an unprompted attack on the pope’s stance on Iran.
“Well, the pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.... I don’t think that’s very good,” Trump said. “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people, but I guess, if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump’s remarks follow the pope’s measured criticism of his administration’s policies, particularly regarding Iran. The president has repeatedly taken issue with the pope’s statements, falsely claiming that Pope Leo XIV supports Iran’s nuclear program—a claim the pope has never made.
Instead, Pope Leo XIV has criticized Trump’s aggressive stance toward Iran, including what the pope described as genocidal threats. Trump has responded by escalating his attacks, calling the pope “weak on crime” and attributing statements to him that he never made.
The ongoing feud highlights Trump’s sensitivity to criticism from religious leaders and his tendency to publicly challenge figures who oppose his policies.
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