WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Monday he will not apologize to Pope Leo XIV after a public clash over the US-Israeli war in Iran, now in its seventh week.
Trump also defended a now-deleted social media image that showed him as a Jesus-like healer. He told reporters he thought the picture was of him as a doctor.
The exchange began Sunday night when Trump posted a lengthy attack on the pope aboard Air Force One, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy”. He said he did not want “a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States”.
Leo, the first American-born pope, had condemned the war as inhumane and called for peace.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, Trump said the pope had made his views public first. “He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran,” Trump said. “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things, so I’m not going to apologize.”
Pope Responds From Papal Plane
Leo pushed back Monday while flying to Algeria for an 11-day trip. He said the Vatican’s calls for peace come from the Gospel and that he does not fear the Trump administration.
“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told the Associated Press.
He added that he was not attacking Trump personally but speaking broadly against war. “I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism,” he said.
Trump Defends Deleted Image
Late Sunday, Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social. It showed him in a biblical robe, laying hands on a sick man. Light appeared to come from his fingers. An American flag, eagles and a fighter jet filled the sky.
The post drew sharp criticism, including from some Trump supporters. Brilyn Hollyhand, a MAGA influencer, called it “gross blasphemy”. Evangelical writer Megan Basham demanded its removal and said Trump needed to “ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God”.
The image was deleted Monday morning. Trump did not say who removed it.
When asked about the post, Trump said: “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross. It’s supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better”. He blamed “fake news” for confusion over the image.
Vice President JD Vance described the post as “a joke” and said it was removed because people did not understand Trump’s humor.
Catholic Leaders Respond
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was “disheartened” by Trump’s criticism. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, the group’s president, said in a statement: “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel”.
Bishop Robert Barron, a member of Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission, called the president’s comments “entirely inappropriate and disrespectful” and said Trump owes the pope an apology.
Trump told reporters he would not apologize. “I’m just responding to Pope Leo,” he said.
The dispute marks a rare public clash between a US president and a pope. Leo has repeatedly condemned the Iran war. Last week he called Trump’s threats to strike Iranian civilian infrastructure “truly unacceptable”.