Pope says he has "no fear of the Trump administration" after president lashes out
Pope Leo has repeatedly warned that violence is becoming normalized and that religious language is at risk of being misused to justify it.
Updated on: April 13, 2026 / 5:42 PM EDT / CBS News
Algiers — Pope Leo has responded to sharply-worded criticism from the President, saying he has "no fear of the Trump administration" and will continue to speak out "loudly" for the message of the Gospel.
Late Sunday, Mr. Trump lashed out at the pontiff on social media, calling him "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."
"I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," he added.
Leo had previously called Mr. Trump's threat to wipe out Iranian civilization "truly unacceptable" and encouraged people to contact "political leaders … to ask them, tell them to work for peace."
Speaking to journalists Monday aboard the papal plane as he began a trip to Africa, Leo declined to address the president's post directly. "I am not a politician," he said. "I will leave that to the politicians."