President Trump has reignited his dispute with Pope Leo XIV, accusing the pontiff of believing 'it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon' and 'endangering a lot of Catholics.' The accusation was made during an interview where Trump discussed the case of jailed Hong Kong businessman Jimmy Lai, before pivoting to an attack on the religious leader.
This latest clash follows previous disagreements between Trump and the Pope on issues including the Iran war and immigration. Last month, the Pope criticised Trump's threat that 'a whole civilization will die' in Iran as 'unacceptable' and hinted at a 'delusion of omnipotence' fueling conflicts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with the Pope in Italy this week to discuss the Middle East and US-Cuba relations, with the Pope previously calling for dialogue between the US and Cuba.
