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US President Donald Trump launched a sharp rhetorical attack against Pope Leo XIV and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson following their recent meeting in Rome, suggesting that Vatican officials should have cautioned the pontiff against hosting the Democratic leader, whom he labelled as "useless".
Taking to his social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday, the Republican leader expressed his disapproval of the diplomatic engagement in Italy. "Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!" Trump wrote. As part of his digital broadside, the US President attached screenshots of social media updates previously uploaded by Johnson on X, which documented the mayor's audience with the head of the Catholic Church at the Vatican on Friday. The shared photographs captured Johnson presenting the pontiff with a miniature version of the Chicago municipal flag. The duo was also seen smiling while displaying a Chicago Cubs baseball cap, a notable gesture given that the pontiff is widely known to be a supporter of the rival White Sox team. Notably, Leo is the first American to ascend to the papacy and was born in Chicago. The sharp remarks from the US President appear to have reignited his highly publicised friction with the head of the Vatican. Trump has previously targeted the pontiff over the latter's vocal opposition to the military conflict involving Iran. Furthermore, the President has previously accused the religious leader of being "weak" on criminal justice matters, while aggressively asserting that the pontiff was comfortable with Tehran acquiring atomic capabilities. Detailing his grievances regarding global security and foreign policy directions, Trump reiterated his staunch opposition to the pontiff's theological and political stances. "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela," he wrote. In the same statement, the President firmly rejected external oversight regarding his domestic mandate, adding, "I don't want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected to do." Expanding on his security concerns, Trump has also charged the pontiff with "endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people", alleging that the religious leader's diplomatic stances inadvertently condone the development of nuclear armaments by the Iranian regime. The Vatican has not shied away from the political crossfire, with the pontiff having previously addressed the steady stream of criticism emanating from Washington. Reaffirming his theological independence, the pope previously stated that he is "not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel." (ANI)
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