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MaddowBlog-Trump renews offensive against Pope Leo, claims pontiff is 'endangering' Catholics
There was no reason for the president to start publicly scolding the pontiff again, but he apparently couldn’t help himself.
Trump’s offensive against the pope, which did the White House no favors, had run its course.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-05-06T12:58:14.225Z
This week, he not only renewed the scolding, he also offered the world a timely reminder about his delicate sensibilities, brazen dishonesty, and total lack of impulse control.
www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-renews-pope-leo-offensive-rubio
As The New York Times’ David French summarized in a recent column, “By putting his disagreement with the pope at the center of the national conversation, Trump’s elevating the pope’s words and demonstrating the profound contrast between the two men. In this contest between a pope and a president, the president looks weak and erratic. He looks small. Between Trump and Pope Leo, there is only one man who is demonstrating strength and moral consistency on the world stage.”
Naturally, the president decided to double down anyway, renewing a wildly unnecessary dispute that appeared to have run its course. The Wall Street Journal reported:
As a factual matter, Trump continues to go after the pontiff with demonstrably false claims. At no point has Leo ever said that he’s comfortable with Iran having nuclear weapons. The president keeps accusing the pope of adopting this position, but it remains entirely made up.....
A few weeks ago, Trump lashed out at the pontiff as someone who “likes crime,” caters to “to the Radical Left,” is taking steps that are “hurting the Catholic Church” and has met with “Obama Sympathizers.” In the days that followed, he kept the offensive going, apparently because the pope hurt his feelings by criticizing the war in Iran. (When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also recently hurt Trump’s feelings by criticizing the war, the president announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany. There are, however, no U.S. troops at the Vatican.)
This week, he not only kept the simmering fire going, he also offered the world a timely reminder about his delicate sensibilities, brazen dishonesty and lack of impulse control.
Naturally, the president decided to double down anyway, renewing a wildly unnecessary dispute that appeared to have run its course. The Wall Street Journal reported:
The unprecedented rift between the world’s two most prominent Americans has divided Catholic voters, threatening to cost the Republican Party some of its support from a key constituency in this year’s midterm elections.
“The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in an interview with radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt recorded on Monday. “I don’t think that’s very good,” he said, adding: “I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”
As a factual matter, Trump continues to go after the pontiff with demonstrably false claims. At no point has Leo ever said that he’s comfortable with Iran having nuclear weapons. The president keeps accusing the pope of adopting this position, but it remains entirely made up.....
A few weeks ago, Trump lashed out at the pontiff as someone who “likes crime,” caters to “to the Radical Left,” is taking steps that are “hurting the Catholic Church” and has met with “Obama Sympathizers.” In the days that followed, he kept the offensive going, apparently because the pope hurt his feelings by criticizing the war in Iran. (When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also recently hurt Trump’s feelings by criticizing the war, the president announced plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany. There are, however, no U.S. troops at the Vatican.)
This week, he not only kept the simmering fire going, he also offered the world a timely reminder about his delicate sensibilities, brazen dishonesty and lack of impulse control.