STORY: :: Trump says he 'has a right to disagree' with Pope Leo, who has criticized the Iran war
:: April 16, 2026
TRUMP: "The Pope has to understand that it's very simple. I have nothing against the Pope. His brother's MAGA all the way. I like his brother, Louis.
REPORTER: "Then why are you fighting with him?"
TRUMP: "I'm not fighting with him." // "And if the Pope looked at the 42,000 people that were killed over the last two or three months, as a protester with no weapons, no nothing. I mean, you take a look at that. So I could disagree with the Pope. I have a right to disagree with the Pope. // I have no disagreement with the fact, the Pope can say what he wants and I want him to say what he wants. But I can disagree. I think that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If they do, the whole world would be in jeopardy. The Middle East will be blown up and the whole world will be in jeopardy. We're very close to making a deal. That would be a great thing. The Pope has to understand. Iran has killed more than 42,000 people over the last few months. Think of it. Protesters without guns, without anything. They were totally unarmed protesters. The Pope has to understand that. This is the real world. It's a nasty world."
Trump has repeatedly criticized the religious leader, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in recent weeks.
Leo told Reuters on Monday he would keep criticizing the war, regardless of Trump's comments.
