US President Trump was dissatisfied with Roman Catholic Pope Leo XIV's remarks criticizing the Iran conflict, lashing out at the Catholic leader for being "weak on crime."
AFP reported that on the 12th, US President Trump told reporters that he "doesn't really like" Pope Leo XIV. "He's a very liberal person, and he doesn't believe in stopping crime."
He also posted on social media, criticizing the Pope for being "weak" on fighting crime and claiming his foreign policy is "abysmal."
Trump wrote: "I do not want a Pope who thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons. Nor do I want a Pope who thinks it's wrong for the US to attack Venezuela... I do not want a Pope who criticizes the US President."
He believes he is implementing the policies promised in his landslide victory and claims to have "brought crime rates to historic lows and created the strongest stock market performance in history."
He finally called on the Pope to focus on being a great pontiff rather than a politician.
Pope Leo XIV was elected last May after his predecessor Pope Francis passed away. He is known for being gentle and skilled at building bridges of communication. However, he has recently become increasingly vocal in condemning global conflicts.
On the 11th, Leo XIV said during a prayer event: "Dear brothers and sisters, leaders of all nations bear an inescapable responsibility. We appeal to them: Stop! Now is the time for peace! Please sit at the table of dialogue and mediation, not at the table plotting rearmament and deciding on deadly actions!"
This was one of the strongest appeals ever made by the American Pope, calling for an end to conflict in the Middle East. However, he did not directly criticize Trump by name.