President Donald Trump reignited a feud with Pope Leo XIV after the pontiff condemned the Iran‑Israel war. Trump's Truth Social post called the pope “terrible for foreign policy” and “weak on crime,” prompting Fox host Sean Hannity to label Leo a left‑wing agitator. The Chicago‑born pope had once been praised by Trump for his heritage.

Conservative figures split over the dispute. Former Fox anchor Tucker Carlson dismissed Hannity’s attack as “cable news mentality,” while Republican leaders such as Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance backed Trump. Vulnerable GOP senators and House members, including Catholics Peter King and Susan Collins, warned the tirade could alienate the party’s sizable Catholic electorate ahead of the midterms, and warned about electoral fallout.

Campaign strategists fear the clash will dent fundraising from Catholic donors, a group that helped deliver Biden’s 2024 win in swing states. Polls show Pope Leo retains high approval among U.S. Catholics, making Trump’s criticism a potential liability for candidates courting that base. The intra‑party rift now sits alongside rising fuel costs and war‑related economic pressure.