Pope Leo XIV responds sharply to Donald Trump's attack

A bitter clash erupted over the weekend between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S. pontiff in history. “He is weak, without me he would not be in the Vatican,” he said. “I am not afraid, I will continue to speak out loudly against the war.” The U.S. president frontally attacked the pope, who responded firmly, sparking a confrontation unprecedented in the first months of Prevost’s pontificate.

It is an unprecedented lunge against the Catholic Church’s top leadership, which threatens to sour relations between the White House and the Vatican. In a lengthy post published on Truth while still aboard Air Force One on his return from Florida, Trump described Leo as “weak on the crime front and terrible on foreign policy.”

The Pope’s retort came directly from the plane headed to Africa for a pastoral visit: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration,” “I speak about the Gospel” and therefore “I will continue to speak out loud against war.” Then the conclusion, stark: “I’m not going to get into a debate with him.”

Prevost then added a message that seems to be addressed to the Maga world as well: “I don’t think you can abuse the Gospel in the way some people are doing.” And again, “I think people who read can draw their own conclusions.”