Allies of President Donald Trump have been actively criticizing Pope Leo XIV during the Republican primary, viewing him as an establishment contender.
Despite the criticism, Trump appeared unbothered after his verbal confrontation with the Pope on Sunday, largely centered on issues regarding the Iran war and U.S. immigration policy. “I’m just responding to Pope Leo,” he stated during a noon press conference on Monday. “There’s nothing to apologize for—he’s wrong.”
Vice President JD Vance, appearing on Fox News, took a more diplomatic stance, suggesting, “We need to prioritize America’s interests. It would be wise for the Vatican to concentrate on moral issues within the Catholic Church and allow the U.S. president to handle U.S. public policy.” Vance downplayed the entire situation, remarking that it’s actually “not that big of a deal,” especially since Trump seeks support from Catholic voters during this campaign cycle.
However, a section of Trump’s supporters is openly critical of the Pope and U.S. bishops, accusing them of collaborating with Democrats on issues like the Iran war, immigration, and perceived appeasement towards Islamic governments ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Hal Lambert, a Trump supporter, voiced his frustration on CNN about the Pope meeting with Democratic strategist David Axelrod, claiming, “This is purely an effort to undermine the Catholic vote for President Trump. There’ll be three cardinals attacking immigration policy today. It’s all aimed at winning Catholic votes against Trump.”
Many of Trump’s allies have taken issue with the Pope and bishops’ positions on immigration, which they say contradict the administration’s reforms that reportedly enhance wages and housing security for many Americans. The Pope has criticized Trump’s approach to illegal immigration as “inhumane,” while some supporters pointed out his silence on the crimes against American citizens committed by undocumented immigrants. One user noted, “Pope Leo condemned Trump’s actions against Venezuela, yet didn’t address the ongoing drug influx into America from that country.”
Mike Cernovich remarked that there seems to be a collaboration between the Pope and certain Democratic operatives aimed at undermining Trump’s immigration policies. Meanwhile, Catholic bishops mentioned to CBS News that Trump’s policies have led to a significant drop in illegal immigration across various dioceses. In response, Trump’s allies highlighted the church’s financial gains during President Biden’s tenure marked by rising immigration levels.
A contributor remarked that Catholic Charities bills itself as “the world’s largest refugee resettlement agency,” resettling about 18 percent of incoming U.S. refugees annually. Over recent years, Catholic Relief Services has been one of the largest recipients of federal funds from USAID, raking in a staggering $4.6 billion from 2013 to 2022—most of which has financed refugee and immigrant programs through taxpayer money.
Kevin Roberts, head of the Heritage Foundation, noted the unpopularity of the church’s immigration policy among Catholics.
Mr. Leo has faced accusations of hypocrisy, criticized for condemning Trump while having cordial relations with a government historically opposed to Christianity. Conservative lawyer Mike Davis pointed out, “You have more to say about Trump’s posts regarding the Pope than you do about Christians suffering genocide at the hands of Islamists.”
On April 12, Trump softened his stance, describing the Pope as “weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy,” and emphasized that while the Pope speaks about fear stemming from the Trump administration, he overlooks the fears faced by the Catholic Church and Christian groups during the pandemic.
Trump had briefly shared an image of himself portraying Jesus healing the sick but later deleted it, commenting, “I posted it and thought I was the physician.”
In an earlier tweet on April 11, the Pope shared thoughts on war and unity, emphasizing the need for faith during these troubled times.
On April 14, he followed up with another message about God’s heart being torn apart by war and injustice, reiterating support for humility and love.
In the meantime, Trump’s allies have continued to navigate this controversy, with Senator Lindsey Graham expressing concern for the Pope’s stance, suggesting, “You’re a good person but you’re misguided—Trump is doing good things.” He urged for focus on negotiating nuclear disarmament with Iran instead.
