Pope Leo Denies 'Tyrants' Speech Targeted Trump After Week of Public Feuding
Pope Leo tells reporters aboard flight to Angola that his criticism of war spending was written before Trump called him 'terrible for foreign policy.'
Pope Leo told reporters aboard a flight to Angola on Saturday that his Thursday speech criticizing "tyrants" who spend billions on wars was not aimed at President Trump, despite the timing just days after their public spat over Iran policy.
The pontiff said his remarks had been written two weeks earlier, "well before the president ever commented on myself." He added that "it was not in my interest at all" to debate Trump, blaming media interpretation for creating conflict where none was intended.
The clarification came after Trump launched a scathing attack on Monday, calling America's first Pope "terrible for foreign policy" and "WEAK on crime." The president also posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure, which he later removed. Trump's criticism followed the Pope's concerns about the president's threat that "a whole civilisation will die" if Iran rejected US demands over the Hormuz ceasefire deal.
During his speech in Cameroon on Thursday, Pope Leo had condemned leaders who "turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found." He warned that "the masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild."
Vice President JD Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult, welcomed the Pope's clarification Saturday. "While the media narrative constantly gins up conflict - and yes, real disagreements have happened and will happen - the reality is often much more complicated," Vance said. Earlier this week, before the Pope's "tyrants" speech, Vance had urged the Vatican to "stick to matters of morality."
The Pope's Africa tour includes stops in 11 cities across four countries, reflecting the growing importance of African Catholics to the Vatican. More than 288 million Catholics - over one-fifth of the world's total - live in Africa. This marks his second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy last year.
Trump responded to the Pope's original speech by telling reporters: "The Pope can say what he wants, and I want him to say what he wants, but I can disagree." The president had said he was "not a big fan" of the Pope, marking an unusual public rift between the White House and Vatican during ongoing Middle East tensions.
The Vatican will be watching whether this clarification helps reset US-Catholic Church relations as the Pope continues his African tour and Trump navigates complex foreign policy challenges in the Middle East.