rki.news | Anadolu
US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Pope Leo on Sunday calling him weak on crime and poor on foreign policy while claiming the Catholic Church selected him to better manage relations with the Trump administration.
Posting on Truth Social Trump said he did not want a pope who believes Iran should have nuclear weapons or who opposes America’s actions against Venezuela. He also claimed Pope Leo had criticized his administration while remaining silent during what Trump described as the persecution of religious figures during the COVID period.
Trump said he preferred the pope’s brother Louis because of his support for the MAGA movement and added that Leo was not originally considered for the papacy. Trump claimed the Church chose him because he was American and believed he would be best suited to deal with the White House.
The US president further argued that if he were not in office Leo would not be in the Vatican. He urged the pope to stop focusing on politics and instead concentrate on leading the Catholic Church.
Speaking to reporters later Trump said he did not believe the pope was doing a very good job and described him as very liberal. The remarks followed criticism of the Trump administration by American cardinals linked to Pope Leo during an interview on CBS.
Trump also posted an AI generated image on social media portraying himself as Jesus Christ.