President defends criticism of the pope, citing disagreements over Iran and nuclear policy during remarks at the White House.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said Monday he will not apologize to Pope Leo XIV, maintaining his criticism of the pontiff’s stance on Iran and other issues.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump responded to calls for an apology following remarks from Robert Barron, who said the president should retract his earlier criticism of the pope.
“No, I don’t [apologize], because Pope Leo said things that are wrong,” Trump said. “He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran. And you can not have a nuclear Iran.”
Trump said his position is based on concerns about the consequences of Iran acquiring nuclear capabilities. “Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result. You have hundreds of millions of people dead and it’s not going to happen,” he said.
The president also criticized the pope more broadly, stating, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things.”
Trump added that he was responding to comments made publicly by the pontiff. “He went public. I’m just responding to Pope Leo,” he said.
During the exchange, Trump also referenced the pope’s brother, saying, “his brother is a big MAGA person, and he’s a great guy. Louis. And I said, I like Louis better than I like the Pope.”
The remarks come amid ongoing tensions between the administration and the Vatican over foreign policy and other issues, including Iran.
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