After Criticizing Pope, Trump Posts Image of Himself as a Jesus-Like Figure
The New York Times3 days
Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV as 'Weak on Crime'
Is Trump recklessly picking a fight with the pope or is Pope Leo the one overstepping his bounds?
Above: Pope Leo XIV responds to questions regarding Donald Trump's recent statements during the flight to Algeria on April 13, 2026. Image credit: Matteo Pernaselci/Vatican Media/Vatican Pool/Getty Images
The Spin
Anti-Trump narrative
Picking a fight with the pope, the U.S. Catholic hierarchy and 66 million American Catholics mid-war is a reckless move that reveals poor judgment. Pope Leo stood firm, making clear the Church speaks for the Gospel — not foreign policy agendas. Calling the pontiff "weak on crime" while bombs are falling exposes a stunning lack of moral seriousness at the worst possible moment.
Pro-Trump narrative
Pope Leo stayed silent when COVID tyrants arrested priests for saying Mass outdoors, yet now lectures the Trump administration on fear and foreign policy — that's pure hypocrisy. Leo pushes globalist lines on Iran and Venezuela while American communities suffer the consequences of open borders. A pope who sides with radical left politics over the safety of the faithful isn't leading the Church — he's undermining it.
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0