Trump suggests pope unaware of Iran nuclear stance despite Leo’s repeated calls for disarmament

The president has claimed, without evidence, that Pope Leo XIV wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.

Trump suggests pope unaware of Iran nuclear stance despite Leo's repeated calls for disarmament
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the National Memorial Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheatre in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia on May 25, 2026. | Credit: Kent Nishhimura/ AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump warned against a nuclear‑armed Iran, reacting to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnsonʼs May 28 meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where the mayor said they discussed U.S. immigration and the Iran conflict.

Trump posted, “Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon.” He also shared screenshots of the mayor’s posts with pictures of him and the Chicago-born pope sharing gifts and praying. Trump made the comments in a May 30 post on Truth Social.

The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.

Leo has rejected those allegations. On May 5 at Castel Gandolfo he stated that the Church “has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons.” Later, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin stated that the Holy See “has always worked, and will continue to work, on nuclear disarmament.”

The White House and Chicago mayor’s office did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Trump sharply criticized Pope Leo XIV in April, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” and saying he is “not a fan” of the pope.

Trump expressed his disapproval of Leoʼs public statements denouncing the U.S.-led war on Iran. The Holy Father has repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing conflict.

The pope has said he is “not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”


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27 Comments

  1. We’re on our Third Middle Eastern war in thirty-five years. The urgency of breaking the back of the Israel Lobby that has tight control of American foreign policy can’t be overstated.

    • Considering Israel is approximately the size of Delaware and Jews make up slightly more than 2% of the US population, yes it can be overstated. And inflated.

          • I don’t think mrscracker did anything other than state and repeat the obvious. Her facts align with and reiterate her words. Both she and rebel use humor to great effect. [Likely they are both far more clever far more often than you or I.] Massie is also clever in his use of speech; he expresses himself in a unique and over-understated way. He is funny. I believe mrscracker knew exactly what she was doing, and she likely knew it was humorous too. No crime. No police. BTW, what is a ‘though’ crime??

            Tell the truth: Don’t these Massie quotes cause you a little twitch of the lips tending toward a smile?

            “I went through all my electric bills, the water bills, the phone bills, elevator contracts, and I found enough wasteful spending without reducing any programs anywhere, without reducing any services, I found enough wasteful spending to pay my entire salary for three years.”

            “I can focus on what seems to be the most boring things for days at a time.”

          • I don’t have more free time, but you’ve never lacked any in this regard.

            I am glad to know I can address somebody without directly using their nom de plume and still have them know it.

          • Older thread Mr. Pitchfork, but I don’t have any more free time these days either. I apologize if my comment was confusing. I was only referring to Mr. Massie.

  2. “The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.”
    One should not be expected to offer evidence when one is using hyperbole.

  3. “The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.”

    I am no fan of this war and I’ve been hearing the claim that they were weeks or months away from a weapon for thirty years. I would be in favor of removing nuclear weapons from all militant states, including Israel. Of course we were assured last summer that Iran’s nuclear capacity was completely degraded.

    However, is this really the state of the “EWTN news staff”? They can’t be this dense and if this is the quality of the staff that they retain-in part with my donations-this is beyond sad. Aren’t there any adults in that room? Who’s running this part of the enterprise (into the ground).

    It’s a rhetorical play on words, where one addresses the effect of some action as though it were a statement of intent. This is the same as when I was young man, and my Dad would observe the myriad blithely reckless things I did with “you really want to kill/hurt yourself, don’t you?”. I was a teenager and I knew he was trying to draw my attention to unintended outcomes and curb my youthful delusions of invulnerability, not that he believed I was actually intentionally self-injurious or suicidal.

    These people are supposed to have linguistic college degrees and be professional writers and they can’t understand rhetorical devices?

    • Israel will not give up their nukes. They are surrounded by millions of fanatics who want to destroy them. Their nukes are the ace in the hole to deal with fanatics who would nuke them. Rather than negotiating in the media, it might be wise to privately inform fanatics of what can happen to them,if they make good on their threats.

      • I think that used to be more the case back in the day, William. Israel does indeed need its nukes but today most of Israel’s neighbors want peace & the prosperity that brings. The Iranian regime is an outlier.

  4. Obviously, it would be dangerous for Iran to have nukes, but there are two facts involved that are not being mentioned. The US has thousands of nukes and Israel has at least 100 nukes.
    For Iran to actually use a nuke on Israel would trigger massive retaliation. Tehran would be a radioactive pile of rubble.

    The Shiite Mullahs engage in dangerous rhetoric, but how crazy are they? Are they willing to see (if they survive) their country destroyed? That is the question.

    • If your goal is the apocalypse then why not?
      I’ve heard regular Iranians & other Muslims say that the Iranian regime & its mullahs are crazy. Most Muslim people aren’t fanatics, they just want to get on with their lives & live in peace.

    • Deterrence can work with Iran, as it has with North Korea and, before it, the Soviet Union and Red China. Of course, as Joe Kent has mentioned repeatedly, it was the conclusion of the US intelligence agencies that Iran’s nuclear program was not active. The Israeli-American attacks may very well have convinced them to restart it. It’s not the end of the world if they develop an arsenal equivalent to what Pakistan, India and, yes, Israel possess. In fact, a nuclear Iran might bring a degree of stability to the region insofar as it might keep an increasingly bellicose and aggressive Israel in check. It didn’t have to be this way, but Trump decided to listen to Netanyahu instead of Kent and the rest of us who pleaded with him to continue with negotiations.

  5. How dare we! The Pope vs a convicted criminal occupying the newly gold-plated Oval Office?

    Trump has recently had his annual physical. His doctor pronounced Trump was in fine shape, except for his shape.

    He was told he had to lose 80 pounds. His retort was “I play a lot of golf”. The doctor replied, “Continuing to kick your ball out of the rough will not suffice”. No mention of his mental acuity, given his rantings off topic and his obsession with saying he won the 2020 election. His $1.77 billion of taxpayer taxes “Slush fund” is exploding in his face, even with his MAGA syncophants.

    Excerpts: Trump posted, “Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is USELESS, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon.” He also shared screenshots of the mayor’s posts with pictures of him and the Chicago-born pope sharing gifts and praying. Trump made the comments in a May 30 post on HIS Truth Social.

    The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that Leo wants the Middle Eastern country to develop nuclear armaments.

    Trump began a war that lacks a strategy to include an endpoint. He shows a lack of leadership by continually flipping in his attempt to settle with the Mullahs.

    Pope Leo is a man of peace; Trump is a man of war. He illegally renamed the DOD to the Department of War.

        • Thank you for that Mr. Morgan. Isn’t that being appealed or is it going to be thrown out?
          So many accusations were thrown at Pres. Trump to keep him out of office that I’ve lost track. But yes, that was one of them concerning the porn star.

          • Yes. However, we are straying from the main topic. Trump’s insulting the Pope on his knowledge of the nuclear capability of Iran and his call for disarmament. The war Trump started illegally.

            Forbes: Federal appeals court judges suggested Wednesday they may be willing to move President Donald Trump’s appeal of his 34-count criminal conviction from state to federal court, a move that could make it easier to throw out the only felony conviction against Trump—and all but erase the president’s felony charges.

            As usual, Trump escapes from our broken criminal judiciary system.

            His wild ranting accusations have shown a symptom of progressing dementia.

  6. “Israel will not give up their nukes. They are surrounded by millions of fanatics who want to destroy them.”

    No kidding. But they have their own fanatics, destroying and desecrating Christian statuary, and assaulting people in religious or clerical garb.

    • Yes, Israel does have fanatics. They have been heavy handed in Gaza as well. I wish US Presidents and Congressmen from both parties would stop being so obedient to Netanyahu.
      I support Israel, but Netanyahu is not my boss.

      Trump is walking tightrope. He must cooperate with Netanyahu without being obedient. Trump is looking for an exit ramp, but Bibi does not want one.

      • The extreme fringes of the Ultra Orthodox act out in the same obnoxious ways to Reform and secular Jews.
        Every religion has its version of the Westboro Baptists.

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