Donald Trump has criticised Pope Leo, calling him “very liberal” and saying he is “not a big fan” of his views. Speaking to reporters while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday (12 April), Trump said: “We don’t like a pope that’s going to say it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon.” He added that he does not support any position that appears to be “toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.” His comments came after the pope suggested a “delusion of omnipotence” is fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran.

The president’s attack follows Pope Leo XIV’s sharp public rebukes of Trump’s decision to go to war with Iran and his threats to destroy the country.

President Donald Trump on Sunday bashed Pope Leo XIV over the U.S.-born pontiff’s criticism of the U.S. war in Iran.