President Donald Trump’s allies are scorching Pope Leo XIV as if he were an establishment rival in the GOP primaries.
Trump, however, is keeping cool following his Sunday blast at the pope amid disagreements over the Iran war and U.S. migration policy. “I’m just responding to Pope Leo,” he told the media midday Monday. “There’s nothing to apologize for — he’s wrong.”
Vice President JD Vance played the good cop on Fox News, saying Trump “has to look out for the interests of America … [and] it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality and what’s going on in the Catholic Church, and let the president of the U.S. stick to dictating American public policy.”
The current dispute “is not that big of a deal,” Vance added, during an election season when Trump needs support and turnout among Catholic voters.
But further down the line of authority, Trump’s supporters whacked the pope — and his U.S. bishops — over the Iran war, immigration policy, his apparent appeasement of the Islamic governments, and claimed collusion with Democrats prior to the 2026 midterm election.
On CNN, Trump supporter Hal Lambert slammed Leo for meeting with Democrat strategist David Axelrod:
“This is all about trying to hurt President Trump’s Catholic vote during the midterms and Republicans are in the midterms … You have three cardinals come out today attacking the immigration policy … This is all about trying to get the Catholic vote against Trump.”
Trump’s allies went Leo and his Bishops for opposing Trump’s migration reforms, which are pushing up wages and housing availability for hundreds of millions of Americans.
“Pope Leo blasted Trump’s treatment of illegal immigrants as “inhumane … [but] stayed silent on the inhumane crimes committed against American citizens by illegal immigrants,” Alec Lace posted on X. “He slammed Trump’s action against Venezuela Yet said nothing as Venezuela flooded America with drugs.”
“The Pope and Bishops work with Bari Weiss and Obama-era Democrat operatives / 60 Minutes to undermine Trump’s domestic policy on immigration,” said Mike Cernovich.
Catholic Bishops told CBS News that Trump’s reforms and enforcement have caused some parishes to lose 30 percent of their illegal migrants. In response, Trump’s allies cited the churches’ financial gain during President Joe Biden’s great migration.
DefiantlyFree wrote:
Catholic Charities self identified as “the largest refugee resettlement agency in the world,” resettling approximately 18% of refugees arriving in the US each year. The Catholic Church has emerged as one of the largest government contractors of immigration services.
From 2013 to 2022, Catholic Relief Services was the single largest recipient of funds from the USAID, receiving a collective $4.6 billion in that timeframe. Federal funding covered more than 95% of what the USCCB spent on refugee and migrant programs in recent years.
In 2012, 93% of the USCCB’s spending on refugee and unaccompanied child work was covered by American taxpayers the conference raised only $1.4 million from its own church members while receiving $65.9 million from the federal government.
The Catholic Church’s immigration policy is unpopular among Catholics, noted Kevin Roberts, president of the newly mainstream Heritage Foundation.
Leo is being hypocritical for criticizing Trump while also honoring Algeria’s government and Muslims who have a consistently anti-Christian record, said posters.
“Dear Catholic Bishops,” said conservative lawyer Mike Davis. “You have much more to say about Trump’s Truth posts about the Pope than Christians facing mass-slaughter by Islamists. You’re frauds.”
Trump loosed the criticism on April 12 with a long Truth Social response to soft criticism from the pope on April 11:
Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about “fear” of the Trump Administration, but doesn’t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart.
He followed up with an April 13 image portraying himself as Jesus healing the sick — but quickly took the post down. “I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor,” he said. “It had to do with [the] Red Cross … which we support.”
The April 11 post from the pope said:
War divides; hope unites. Arrogance tramples upon others; love lifts up. Idolatry blinds us; the living God enlightens. All it takes is a little faith, a mere “crumb” of faith, in order to face this dramatic hour in history together — as humanity and alongside humanity. #Peace
On April 14, Leo posted:
God’s heart is torn apart by wars, violence, injustice and lies. But our Father’s heart is not with the wicked, the arrogant, or the proud. God’s heart is with the little ones and the humble, and with them He builds up His Kingdom of love and peace day by day. Wherever there is love and service, God is there. #ApostolicJourney #Algeria
Meanwhile, Trump’s top allies continued to play Good Cop.
“The pope, you’re a good man, but you’ve got this all wrong,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on April 13. Lindsey added, “Trump is doing a good thing, not a bad thing. You’re not going to talk the Ayatollah [of Iran] into giving up his nukes — you’re going to have to make him give up his nukes.”
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