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Trump says he is ‘not a big fan of Pope Leo’ in scathing rant

In a social media post, and then on camera, the US president called the head of the Catholic Church weak on crime and ‘terrible’ for foreign policy.

Published: 5:28pm, 13 Apr 2026

US President Donald Trump attacked Pope Leo on social media on April 12, 2026, saying the first American pope should “stop catering to the radical left”. Trump’s remarks made on camera and through his Truth Social platform were an extraordinary broadside against the global leader of the Catholic Church, exacerbating a feud that began over the war in Iran.

Trump says he is ‘not a big fan of Pope Leo’ in scathing rant

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}In a social media post, and then on camera, the US president called the head of the Catholic Church weak on crime and ‘terrible’ for foreign policy.

In a social media post, and then on camera, the US president called the head of the Catholic Church weak on crime and ‘terrible’ for foreign policy.