Trump has once again levelled accusations at the Pope
US President Donald Trump made this statement in an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s show, according to The Independent.
What Trump said
The scandal erupted during a discussion about the fate of imprisoned Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai – when the presenter suggested asking Pope Leo XIV to raise the issue. Trump abruptly launched into an attack on the pontiff.
“Well, the Pope would rather talk about it being okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” the US president said, adding that he “doesn’t think that’s very good”.
“I think he’s putting a lot of Catholics and a lot of people at risk, but I suppose if it’s up to the Pope. He thinks it’s perfectly fine for Iran to have nuclear weapons,” Trump continued.
Why this is untrue
Pope Leo XIV has never stated that Iran can possess nuclear weapons. On the contrary, he has repeatedly and openly called on all countries to renounce nuclear weapons.
In June 2025, Leo XIV called for the creation of “a safer world, free from the nuclear threat”, emphasising that “no one should ever threaten the existence of another”.
The differences between Trump and Leo XIV have intensified due to the pontiff’s sharp opposition to the US-Israeli operation in Iran. The Pope, in particular, had previously described Trump’s threats to destroy the entire Iranian civilisation as “absolutely unacceptable”.
In response to criticism from the American president, Pope Leo XIV stated: “I am not afraid of the Trump administration and I speak out loud about the message of the Gospel, which I believe is my duty.”
It is worth recalling that Trump was previously at the centre of a scandal over a photo in which he was dressed as Jesus.
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