President Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, calling the first American-born pontiff "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy" in a lengthy social media post. The attack came after the pope condemned Trump's war with Iran as "absurd and inhuman violence" and directly rebuked the president's threat to "wipe out Iranian civilization" as "truly unacceptable" and against international law.

Trump claimed credit for Leo's ascension, writing that the pope "was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump." He criticized Leo for "catering to the radical left" and said he preferred the pope's brother Louis because of his support for the MAGA movement. The pontiff had warned that invoking Jesus for battle "rejects" such prayers.

Catholic leaders defended the pope. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was "disheartened" by Trump's words, stating: "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." The confrontation illustrates how two of the world's most powerful Americans handle conflict — one pleads for resolution while the other reflexively increases the temperature.