Pope Leo XIV answers questions regarding recent statements by US President Donald Trump during a flight to Algeria in Algiers, Algeria on April 13, 2026.
Matteo Pernacelli | Vatican Pool getty images
US President Donald Trump again took aim at Pope Leo XIV, suggesting he was unaware of Iran’s repressive actions against its own people and basking in his criticism of the Catholic pontiff.
“Will someone tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed protesters over the last two months and that Iran having a nuclear bomb is absolutely unacceptable,” Trump said. satya social post Just before midnight Tuesday.
Trump attacked the Pontiff on Sunday, saying that he does not want a Pope who is critical of the US President.
Pope Leo has called for a ceasefire and urged negotiations to resolve the Iran conflict, while Trump has criticized him for criticizing US military actions against Iran and Venezuela.
“I have no fear of the Trump administration,” Leo told reporters Monday.
Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself looking like Jesus Christ on Truth Social on Sunday, drawing sharp condemnation from religious leaders and Democratic lawmakers, and a sharp response from the Vatican, which called the image “deeply offensive.”
Megan Basham, a conservative Christian commentator, wrote, “I don’t know whether the President thought he was joking or whether he was under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this outrageous blasphemy.” A post about Image on X.
Trump later removed the photo, claiming it was meant to portray him as a doctor. “I posted it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and as a Red Cross worker it had to do with the Red Cross, which we support,” he told reporters at the White House.
Trump dismissed reports of him portraying himself as Jesus, saying, “The only thing that can come with that is ‘fake news’.” He said, “As a doctor I believe I will make people better.” “And I make people better. I make people a lot better.”
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed to this report.