Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday responded to President Trump’s latest attack on him, saying that if someone criticizes him, they should “do so truthfully.”
The comments came after President Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt that Pope Leo would “rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and claimed that the US-born pontiff was “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”
Trump’s comments reflect a common criticism he makes of opponents of his war with Iran, even though there was no evidence either before the June 2025 war or the current conflict that Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapon.
In response, Leo pointed to the Vatican’s long-standing opposition to nuclear proliferation. “The mission of the Church is to proclaim the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully,” the pope told reporters, according to Vatican News.
“For years, the Church has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt on that point. I simply hope to be listened to because of the value of the word of God,” Leo added.
The exchange between Trump and Leo came ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to the Vatican, where he will meet with the pope on Thursday. One topic that’s expected to be discussed is Cuba, as the Trump administration is reportedly preparing for an attack on the country. Leo had previously expressed opposition to the US attack on Venezuela to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
At a White House press briefing on Tuesday, Rubio defended Trump’s false claim about Leo. “I think what the president basically said is that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon because they would use it against places that have a lot of Catholics and Christians, and others for that matter,” he said.
“[Trump] doesn’t understand why anybody, leave aside the pope … would think it’s a good idea for Iran to ever have a nuclear weapon,” Rubio added.
