Trump Criticizes Pope Leos Peace Appeal as Harmful to Foreign Policy

US President Donald Trump has made public comments criticizing Pope Leo XIV, calling him “weak on crime” and stating that he does not want a pope who criticizes the president of the United States.

On Sunday, Trump posted on social media, expressing his disapproval of the pope’s recent statements regarding the US-Israeli war on Iran. The pope had previously issued a direct rebuke to Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization, describing it as “truly unacceptable.” Pope Leo also recently implored leaders to end ongoing bloodshed and condemned what he described as a “delusion of omnipotence” fuelling war.

Additionally, the pope has questioned the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies, stating that they may not align with Catholic teachings. Trump responded by claiming credit for the pope’s leadership in the Catholic Church, suggesting that the Vatican chose Pope Leo due to his perceived alignment with the White House.

Trump also stated that he is “not a big fan” of Pope Leo and believes he is “not doing a very good job.” The president described the pope as a “very liberal person” who “likes crime.” This criticism comes after Trump’s rocky relationship with Pope Francis, who criticized Trump’s immigration policy proposals during his presidential campaign.

Pope Leo is set to embark on an 11-day trip to Africa starting on Monday, which will include a historic visit to Muslim-majority Algeria.

Source: Al Jazeera