“Very important”
Trump relents against the Pope
April 16, 2026 – 8:56 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The US President is sharpening his tone towards Pope Leo XIV. The background is the conflict over the Iran war and religious rhetoric in Washington.
US President Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of the Pope and demanded that he see Iran as a “global threat”. It is “very important” that Pope Leo understands this, Trump told reporters at the White House. “The pope can say whatever he wants and I want him to say whatever he wants, but I can disagree,” he added. “The pope must understand that this is the real world.”
The dispute between the White House and the Vatican has escalated significantly in recent days. The trigger is the different positions on the US and Israel’s war against Iran. While Trump and his government also justify the operation with religious references, Pope Leo XIV warns against further escalation and focuses on moral principles.
Trump had repeatedly sharply attacked the Pope and, among other things, accused him of interfering in political issues. He wrote on social media that it was “absolutely unacceptable” that Iran could have a nuclear bomb, citing the regime’s killing of thousands of protesters. The Pope had previously criticized the war and warned of its consequences for the international order.
At the same time, a now-deleted AI image that showed Trump as a figure reminiscent of Jesus sparked criticism. Even conservative Catholics and several clergymen reacted with outrage.
Meanwhile, the Pope reiterated his criticism of war and violence during his trip to Africa. “The world is destroyed by a handful of tyrants and maintained by myriads of brothers and sisters in solidarity,” said Leo XIV during a visit to Cameroon. He did not name any names, but fundamentally condemned all forms of warmongering.
The pontiff also responded to religious rhetoric from Washington. Less than an hour after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a press conference, he wrote: “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the name of God for their own military, economic and political purposes, dragging the sacred into darkness and filth.”
Hegseth had previously compared critical media with the Pharisees and accused them of wanting to destroy him.
