Trump Blasts 'Weak' Pope Leo As Chicago-Area Native Says He Doesn't Fear President

CHICAGO — President Donald Trump took to social media Sunday night to criticize Pope Leo XIV, calling the Chicago-area native "weak on crime, terrible for foreign policy" and "OK" with Iran having a nuclear weapon, among other things.

The pontiff pushed back Monday, telling reporters gathered on the papal plane he's "not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for," reports The Associated Press.

The back-and-forth exchange between Washington and the Vatican has escalated since an Easter Sunday Mass in which Leo urged world leaders to "let those who have weapons lay them down." Though the pope had not previously mentioned Trump by name in his critiques of current conflicts, including the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the president accused Leo of talking about "fear" of his administration and "catering to the RADICAL LEFT."

"To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think, is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is," Leo told The Associated Press as he embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa. "And I'm sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today."

Trump also posted an AI-created image of himself Sunday night wearing a robe similar to one often associated with Jesus Christ. In the picture, the president is seemingly using spiritual powers to heal a bedridden man.

"It wasn't a depiction. I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor," Trump told reporters Monday after receiving a McDonald's order from Door Dash. "And had to do with the Red Cross as a Red Cross worker, which we support and only the fake news could come up with that one."

Editor's Note: It appears the post with the image described above was taken down from Trump Social Monday morning, but the post critiquing Pope Leo XIV is still online.

In May 2025, Robert Prevost, who grew up in Dolton, was named the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Roman Catholic Church. At the time, Trump called it a "great honor for our country," congratulating the Vatican for selecting Prevost, who became known as Leo XIV.

"If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," Trump said Sunday, also saying the pope is hurting the Catholic Church by trying to be a politician and not focusing on the papacy.

In an interview on "60 Minutes," which aired Sunday, Cardinal Blase Cupich discussed his concerns over the "gamification" of war as part of the White House's messaging. The Archbishop of Chicago sat down with two other cardinals for a story on Pope Leo.

"We're dehumanizing the victims of war by turning the suffering of people and the killing of children and our own soldiers into entertainment," Cupich said.

Last month, Cupich condemned a video posted on the official White House X account showing popular action movies spliced with actual strike footage from their war on Iran. The post came "as more than 1,000 Iranian men, women and children lay dead after days of bombardment from U.S. and Israeli missiles," according to a statement from Cupich.

"A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it's a video game — it's sickening," Cupich said. "Hundreds of people are dead, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, including scores of children who made the fatal mistake of going to school that day."

Bishop Robert Barron, who serves on Trump's "Presidential Commission on Religious Liberty," said the president owes the Pope Leo an apology.

RELATED: Chicago Native Becomes 1st American Pope

Following a social media post by Trump last week threatening Iran by saying a "whole civilization will die," Leo has ramped up his criticism of the president and his rhetoric, while the Pentagon has denied reports of friction between the pontiff and the president.

"Today as we all know, there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable," Leo said regarding Trump's post on Truth Social.

RELATED: Pope Calls Trump's Iran Threat 'Truly Unacceptable' As Pentagon Denies Clash Between Leo, Trump

Gov. JB Pritzker and others called for Trump's removal from office by invoking the 25th Amendment after the post.

"This is not foreign policy, it's a deranged madman threatening to wipe out an entire country," Pritzker said in a social media reply to Trump's earlier remarks. "It's past time. The 25th Amendment must be invoked."

In its own statement regarding the comments, House Democrats were calling for lawmakers to return to session immediately and vote to end the war. Congress is set to return from its two-week recess early this week.

"His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response," leadership of the Democratic caucus said in a joint statement released Thursday afternoon.

RELATED: Pritzker Calls For Trump's Removal Over 'Whole Civilization Will Die Tonight' Post Regarding Iran

On Friday, though Leo didn't specifically refer to Trump, he did say, "God does not bless any conflict" as the U.S.-Israel war on Iran continues a two-week ceasefire in a war that started on Feb. 28.

The Free Press is reporting tensions between the Vatican and Washington have been "building for months" with a top Vatican diplomat reportedly summoned to the Pentagon by senior U.S. defense officials in January.

Anonymous Vatican officials described the meeting to the media outlet as "a bitter lecture warning that the United States has the military power to do whatever it wants — and that the Church had better take its side."

Both the Pentagon and Vatican have questioned the veracity of the Free Press story, with the former calling the meeting instead "substantive, respectful, and professional." The Department of War also described the reporting as "highly distorted and exaggerated."

During the "60 Minutes" segment on the pope— which in addition to Cupich included fellow cardinals Robert McElroy, of Washington and Joseph Tobin, of Newark, New Jersey — said two church officials told the media outlet the meeting was "unpleasant and contentious."

Bari Weiss is the editor-in-chief of CBS News, which produces "60 Minutes." She is also founder of The Free Press.