Donald Trump has escalated his war of words with Pope Leo XIV, claiming the pontiff is "endangering a lot of Catholics" by his stance on Iran's nuclear program. The accusation comes just days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to meet with the pope at the Vatican in what officials are framing as a damage control mission.
Speaking to conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Trump doubled down on earlier criticism, saying the pope "would rather talk about the fact that it's OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon." He added that Leo "thinks it's just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon," characterizing the pontiff's position as dangerous.
The pope has made no such endorsement. Leo has instead repeatedly called for dialogue and ceasefires, opposing both the conflict with Iran and the escalation in Lebanon and across the Middle East. His criticism has focused on the war itself, not on nuclear proliferation.
Rubio, a Catholic, is scheduled to meet with Leo on Thursday morning at the Apostolic Palace. Brian Burch, the US ambassador to the Holy See, told reporters he expects the conversation to be "frank" but grounded in dialogue rather than confrontation.
"Nations have disagreements, and I think one of the ways that you work through those is through fraternity and authentic dialogue," Burch said. He rejected the notion of a deep rift between Washington and the Vatican, framing Rubio's visit as an opportunity for both sides to understand each other better.
Trump's latest salvo follows his April attack on the pope, when he called Leo weak and said he wasn't doing a good job. Trump also shared an AI-generated image depicting himself as Christ during that episode, later claiming it was meant to show him as a doctor before deleting it.
The Vatican meeting is taking place on the first anniversary of Leo's papacy. Beyond his audience with the pope, Rubio plans to meet with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and then travel to Rome on Friday to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. This leg of the trip appears aimed at smoothing relations with Italy after Trump berated Meloni for calling out his remarks against the pope and for what he perceived as insufficient support for US strikes on Iran.
Vice President JD Vance, himself a Catholic convert, has also waded into the dispute, telling the pope to "stick to matters of morality" and suggesting Leo should be more cautious about theological commentary on war. Vance and Rubio both attended Leo's inauguration last May and had a private audience with him the following day, during which they delivered a White House invitation that the pope has not accepted.
The clash between Trump and Leo reflects fundamental disagreements over US foreign policy in the Middle East. The pope's appeal for restraint and dialogue has collided with the administration's approach, and Trump appears intent on pressuring the Vatican through public attacks before Rubio's diplomatic mission gets underway.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump knows exactly how to rattle a cage, and hitting the pope on his most public cause right before a reconciliation attempt is vintage Trump hardball."
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