Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV, Shares AI Image

President Donald Trump sparked widespread condemnation on April 14, 2026, after posting a series of critical messages on Truth Social targeting Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church, and sharing an AI-generated image depicting himself in a Christ-like pose. The exchanges escalated tensions between the White House and the Vatican amid ongoing disputes over U.S. military actions in Iran.

The controversy began last week when Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native and 1977 Villanova University graduate, publicly denounced Trump's threats against Iran as "truly unacceptable" and urged world leaders to pursue peace. In response, Trump posted on Sunday, April 12, labeling the pope "weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy." He claimed Leo XIV's 2025 election as pope resulted from church leaders viewing him as an American who could "deal with President Donald J. Trump," adding that without Trump's presidency, "Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican." Trump accused the pope of catering to the radical left and harming the Catholic Church by prioritizing politics over spiritual leadership.

The pope, speaking to reporters en route to Algeria for an 11-day tour of four...