President Donald Trump has ignited a political firestorm just weeks before the November midterm elections with his inflammatory remarks aimed at Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff in history, has been delivering scathing critiques of Trump in fluent English regarding the Iran war. The pope remains unfazed by Trump’s usual tactics of threatening tariffs and defense measures.
On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that the pope, as the head of the Catholic Church, has emerged as a rallying point for Trump’s critics. The newspaper suggested that the American pope’s policy criticisms could pose significant political risks for Trump and potentially sway the upcoming U.S. elections.
Responding to the pope’s renewed condemnation of the U.S. attack on Iran, Trump lashed out, calling him weak and pathetic. The president even claimed that he wasn’t even on the shortlist for pope; he got there because of Trump. Trump further insisted that he has nothing to apologize for because the pope is wrong.
In a recent press conference, the pope calmly stated in his native English that the Trump administration does not intimidate them, and pledged to continue voicing the opposition to war. This stands in stark contrast to his predecessor, Pope Francis, who, despite his more progressive stance, struggled with English in his confrontations with Trump.
The Wall Street Journal noted that while Pope Francis occasionally clashed with U.S. bishops over controversial statements, Leo XIV is gaining widespread support within the church by emphasizing traditional Catholic doctrine.
Some analysts have drawn parallels between the Trump-Leo XIV conflict and the power struggles between medieval popes and emperors. The WSJ pointed out that since Napoleon, no political leader has publicly targeted the pope like Trump has.
As the midterm elections loom, concerns are growing about the pope’s expanding political influence. However, at present, voters’ anger toward Trump appears to be more pronounced.
A March NBC News poll conducted in the wake of the Iran war outbreak revealed that the pope’s favorability rating (the difference between positive and negative evaluations) stands at an impressive +34 percentage points, far outstripping Trump’s dismal -12 percentage points.
This shift is also impacting the Catholic vote in the U.S., where about one-fifth of voters identify as Catholic. A recent CBS/YouGov poll found that 54% of Catholic respondents disapproved of Trump’s job performance.
Thomas Wright, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, observed that Trump has grown accustomed to flattery from world leaders who fear retaliation. However, he cannot use threats like tariffs or security promises against the Vatican.
