WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV on Monday after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran 鈥� and he sought to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor.
Trump was asked about his comments toward the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, as well as the post depicting himself as a saint-like healer, in a hastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House.
鈥淗e was very much against what I鈥檓 doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,鈥� Trump said, adding, 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 very weak on crime and other things, so I鈥檓 not鈥� going to apologize.
鈥淗e went public,” the Republican president added. “I鈥檓 just responding to Pope Leo.鈥�
That response followed Leo pushing back on Trump鈥檚 the previous evening, telling reporters that the Vatican鈥檚 appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel and that he doesn鈥檛 fear the Trump administration.
鈥淭o put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,鈥� Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. 鈥淎nd I鈥檓 sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.鈥�
The back-and-forth between the world’s two most influential Americans served to deepen a burgeoning schism as the U.S. war in Iran stretched into its seventh week.
History鈥檚 first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the Iran war and other conflicts around the world.
鈥淚鈥檓 not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for,” said Leo, who said he had a different perspective on foreign policy than elected officials.
鈥淚 will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,鈥� he said.
Trump speaks to his much-criticized social media post
The image posted by the president Sunday night showed Trump wearing a biblical-style robe and laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers 鈥� while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.
鈥淚 did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better.鈥�
He blamed the 鈥渇ake news鈥� for any confusion over the image, though it drew criticism from a wide range of people, including some of Trump’s own evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion that Trump was likening himself to Christ. Even Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the 鈥渄esecration of Jesus” while also speaking up to defend the pope.
The post was deleted from Trump’s account late Monday morning. Trump didn’t provide details on how that happened.
Trump had charged that Leo is not 鈥榙oing a very good job鈥�
The president criticized the pope in a lengthy social media post while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night. He kept up the denunciation after deplaning, telling reporters, 鈥淚鈥檓 not a fan of Pope Leo.”
Leo said Saturday during an evening prayer service at St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica that a was fueling the . The comments came the same day that the United States and Iran in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.
The talks were being led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who about his faith. Asked about Trump’s post depicting himself as Jesus on Monday evening, Vance told Fox 小萝莉影视 Channel that it was 鈥渁 joke鈥� and said it鈥檚 鈥渁 good thing鈥� that Trump 鈥渓ikes to mix it up on social media鈥� and is 鈥渘ot filtered.鈥�
鈥淥f course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people weren鈥檛 understanding his humor,鈥� Vance said of the post.
The pope’s Saturday criticisms meanwhile, followed him earlier naming Trump directly and expressed optimism that the president would seek 鈥渁n off-ramp鈥� in Iran. An even stronger condemnation came after Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and infrastructure, writing on social media that 鈥渁n entire civilization will die tonight.鈥� Leo described that as a 鈥渢hreat against the entire people of Iran鈥� and said it was 鈥渢ruly unacceptable.鈥�
While it鈥檚 not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it鈥檚 exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader 鈥� and Trump鈥檚 stinging response is equally uncommon.
鈥淧ope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,鈥� the president wrote in his post, adding, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a Pope who thinks it鈥檚 OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”
Leo’s opposition to war irked Trump
Leo, who began an 11-day trip to Africa on Monday, has previously said that God 鈥渄oes not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.鈥� He’s also referred to an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that 鈥渆ven though you make many prayers, I will not listen 鈥� your hands are full of blood.鈥�
Still, in his comments on Monday, as in his Sunday night social media post, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I鈥檓 doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.” His post also claimed that Leo was only elected pontiff 鈥渂ecause he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.鈥�
鈥淚f I wasn鈥檛 in the White House, Leo wouldn鈥檛 be in the Vatican,鈥� Trump wrote, adding, 鈥淟eo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It鈥檚 hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it鈥檚 hurting the Catholic Church!鈥�
In his comments to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said of Leo, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,鈥� adding, 鈥淗e鈥檚 a very liberal person.鈥�
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said he was 鈥渄isheartened鈥� by Trump鈥檚 comments.
鈥淧ope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician,” Coakley said in a statement. 鈥淗e is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.鈥�
___
Winfield reported from aboard the papal plane. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
