STORY
Donald Trump has launched a fresh public attack on Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the Pope criticised war rhetoric and defended the Church’s duty to speak for peace. The clash marks a striking escalation in tensions between the White House and the Vatican, with Trump also attacking the Pope’s stance on immigration and suggesting his election was politically motivated.
The Vatican has not stayed silent in the face of the remarks. Speaking while travelling to Algeria, Pope Leo said he was not afraid of Trump and would continue to speak out against war, insisting that his message was rooted in the Gospel rather than politics. In separate reporting, he was also said to have “no intention to debate” Trump directly, signalling that while he would not trade insults with the US president, he would not retreat from his criticism either.