President Donald Trump took aim at both Pope Leo XIV and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson today after the pontiff welcomed the mayor to the Vatican, criticizing the meeting and calling Johnson ineffective.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned why the pope chose to meet with the Chicago mayor and tied the issue to his broader concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump accompanied the post with screenshots from Johnson’s X account that highlighted the mayor’s visit to the Vatican and his meeting with the pope the previous day.
Photos shared by Johnson showed him presenting Pope Leo with a small Chicago flag. Another image captured the two smiling together while holding a Chicago Cubs cap, despite the pope’s well-known loyalty to the White Sox. Leo, the first American pope in history, was born and raised in Chicago.
The president’s latest remarks appeared to further escalate his ongoing dispute with the pontiff, whom he has repeatedly criticized in recent weeks over foreign policy issues and public comments regarding international conflicts.
Trump has previously faulted Leo for remarks critical of the war involving Iran and for what he characterized as a lenient approach to crime. He has also argued that the pope’s positions suggest insufficient opposition to Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
“I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s terrible that America attacked Venezuela,” he wrote, adding, “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected.”
The president has also contended that the pope’s comments could place both Catholics and others at risk, accusing him of effectively tolerating Iran’s pursuit of nuclear capabilities.
For his part, Pope Leo has rejected suggestions that he should remain silent in the face of political disagreements. Responding to criticism from Trump, the pontiff previously stated that he is “not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
{Matzav.com}
