Overview
- Trump, who reposted an AI image Wednesday showing Jesus embracing him, revived the controversy two days after deleting a post that depicted him in a Christ-like role.
- Following Tuesday night’s Truth Social barrage, he attacked Pope Leo, claiming Iran had killed 42,000 protesters and declaring that an Iranian nuclear weapon is unacceptable.
- Vice President JD Vance told an audience Tuesday that the pope should be careful when speaking on theology, reinforcing the White House pushback to Leo’s criticism of the Iran war.
- Pope Leo, speaking Thursday in Cameroon, warned against leaders who use God to justify war and said the world is being harmed by tyrants.
- The backlash has widened as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Iran’s president, and conservative figures such as Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned Trump’s posts and rhetoric, raising risks with religious voters.