Trump attacks Pope Leo XIV, calls him “very liberal” and weak on crime

US President Donald Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, calling the pontiff “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform and in remarks to reporters.

In the social media post, Trump accused the head of the Catholic Church of taking positions he said were harmful to US interests, particularly regarding nuclear policy and international conflicts. The president said he did not want “a pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and criticized Leo for what he described as opposition to US actions abroad.

Trump also suggested that the pope’s political views were overly aligned with the political left, accusing him of “catering to the Radical Left” and urging him to “focus on being a great pope, not a politician.”

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday, Trump expanded on the criticism, saying he was “not a big fan” of the pontiff.

“I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime,” Trump said, adding that the pope was “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.”

The comments came a day after the 70-year-old American pope issued a public appeal for peace amid rising global tensions. In remarks delivered Saturday, Pope Leo called on world leaders to end violence and avoid escalating conflicts.

“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!” the pontiff said in his plea.