Trump Escalates Feud With Pope Leo Over Iran War Opposition and AI Meme

Trump escalated his feud with Pope Leo XIV, refusing to apologize after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran.

Trump posted a now-deleted AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like healer.

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The first U.S.-born pope pushed back, telling the Associated Press, "I’m not afraid of the Trump administration."

Vice President JD Vance defended Trump, saying it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality.

The controversy risked alienating Catholic swing voters, who comprise about one in five American voters.

Trump's AI-generated image of himself as a Christlike healer drew widespread condemnation.

Trump claimed he thought the image depicted him as a doctor and not Jesus.

ABC

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski said the image was more damaging to Trump's own image than to the Catholic Church.

The post was deleted after backlash.

The pope's spiritual homecoming to North Africa was overshadowed by the feud.

The feud exposed deep tensions between political power and religious authority.

The pope's appeals for peace clashed with Trump's insistence on military victory.

The church exists to challenge leaders, not flatter them, Archbishop Wenski said.

The controversy highlighted the risks for Trump in alienating Catholic voters.