In a social media post over the weekend, Trump bemoaned that the Pope’s criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and claimed without evidence that his own presidency had enabled the Leo’s accession to the papacy.
And, speaking outside the White House on Monday afternoon, Trump repeated his criticism of Leo as “weak,” adding “there’s nothing to apologize for.”
Trump’s aggressive rhetoric against the Pope presents a challenge for conservative, right-wing and far-right European leaders like Meloni, whose voter bases typically contain plenty of Christians. More than half of Italians identify as Catholic.
While such leaders are have reason to stay on Trump’s good side given his administration’s support for anti-migrant parties, the President’s fall from favor among his ideological allies in Europe since the start of 2026 has been stark.
Trump did, however, row back on a post in which he depicted himself as a Christ-like figure healing a sick person with light as eagles, fighter jets and the American flag flew in the background. That image drew criticism even from many people supportive of the President’s MAGA agenda, with some calling it “blasphemy.”
He subsequently deleted the post and later told a press gaggle that he thought he had been depicted as a doctor in the image.