Trump renews attack on Pope Leo as Rubio due to head to Vatican

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday renewed his attack on Pope Leo XIV ahead of a visit to the Vatican this week by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Trump accused Leo of "endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people" in a radio interview with conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt. He said Leo apparently believed it was "fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon."

Leo has repeatedly expressed opposition to the Iran war and called for ceasefire and dialogue.

Rubio, a Catholic, is expected to try to ease tensions between Trump and U.S.-born Leo during his visit starting on Thursday.

Brian Burch, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, said he expected an "open" discussion between Leo and Rubio. Differences of opinion could be bridged by authentic dialogue, he said, while denying that there was a deep breach between Washington and the Vatican.

Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin told Italian media that the pope would continue on his chosen path by preaching the gospel of peace at every suitable and unsuitable occasion.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini commented: "One does not discuss the pope; one listens to him."

During the ongoing conflict over the Iran war, Trump has presented the war as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and termed the pope "weak." He has also criticized Leo's position on migration.

An AI-generated image showing the U.S. president as a Christ-like figure and published on Trump's Truth Social channel caused outrage and was subsequently deleted.

While in Rome, Rubio is to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has defended Leo against Trump's attacks. The trip coincides with the first anniversary of Leo's papacy.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:26 PM.