WASHINGTON, United States — U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pope Leo XIV can speak freely on global issues but should understand the realities of a “nasty world,” in remarks delivered to reporters before he departed for a trip to the western United States, amid an ongoing exchange of criticism over Iran and immigration policy.
Trump made the statement while responding to recent comments from Pope Leo XIV, who has said he has a moral duty to speak out against war and described Trump’s threat of military action related to Iran as unacceptable. Trump also reiterated his view that Iran has caused large-scale casualties in recent months, citing a figure of more than 42,000 deaths and describing the victims as unarmed protesters.
Trump has criticized the pope in recent days, calling him “weak” and “wrong,” though he later told reporters he was not in a conflict with the pontiff and said he had “nothing against him.”
The exchange follows growing public disagreement between the two figures over international security issues, including U.S. policy toward Iran and broader humanitarian concerns raised by the Vatican.
