Overview
- During a flight to Angola on Saturday, Leo said he had “no interest” in a new debate with President Trump and explained that the “tyrants” line came from a speech drafted two weeks earlier.
- He said some comments were misread but pledged to keep preaching peace and justice as he continues to condemn the war with Iran and threats linked to it.
- Trump has attacked the pope on Truth Social as “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” claimed Leo owed him the papacy, and posted then deleted an AI image that framed himself as a holy figure.
- Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called Trump’s words about the pope unacceptable and the head of the U.S. bishops’ conference voiced disappointment, while there was no immediate new response from the White House to Leo’s latest remarks.
- The dispute has overshadowed parts of the pope’s 11‑day Africa tour, where he decried exploitation in Angola, with potential political effects for Catholic and evangelical voters in a U.S. election year.