Trump Criticizes Pope Leo XIV Over Meeting With Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

President Donald Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV on his Truth Social account after the pope met with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon," Trump wrote. The pope, a Chicago native, met with Johnson, a first-term Democrat who has criticized the Trump administration.

Among the possible Republican candidates for 2028 are Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both practicing Catholics.

It is not the first public clash between Trump and Leo XIV. In April, Trump called the pope "weak on crime" and "weak on nuclear weapons." He later deleted an artificial intelligence-generated image that depicted the pope inappropriately, and his remarks were widely condemned as disrespectful. Bishop Robert Barron, whom Trump appointed to a commission on religious liberty, said the president "owes the Pope an apology" for the comments.

Trump's support among Catholics has declined, a drop attributed both to his criticism of the pope and to his positions on military and economic matters. Johnson responded to Trump by saying his actions worsen conditions for working families in Chicago, a city that has faced economic difficulties linked in part to the immigration policies of the previous administration.

Trump's latest comments were less severe than those he made in April. Midterm elections are approaching.