Donald Trump has claimed that Pope Leo XIV supports Iran having nuclear weapons, directly contradicting what the pope has actually said. The Daily Beast reports that Trump made these comments during an interview with Hugh Hewitt on the Salem News Channel, just ahead of a planned meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the pope at the Vatican.
The controversy started when Hewitt brought up Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist who was sentenced to 20 years in prison under the city’s national security law. Hewitt said he wished Pope Leo would speak out about Lai’s case. Trump, instead of addressing that, went after the pope, calling him “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
“I wish Pope Leo would talk about Jimmy Lai,” Hewitt said. “You’ve talked about Jimmy Lai with the chairman [Chinese President Xi Jinping], will you be bringing him up again?” Trump fired back, saying, “Well, the pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon, and I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics, and a lot of people, but I guess if it’s up to the pope, he thinks it’s just fine for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
Pope Leo XIV has clearly called for a world free from the nuclear threat, making Trump’s claim hard to justify
Pope Leo’s actual words tell a very different story. In a video message posted on March 5, the pope said, “Today we lift up our prayer for peace in the world, asking that nations renounce weapons and choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy.”
He also specifically called for a world “free from the nuclear threat,” saying, “The commitment to creating a safer world, free from the nuclear threat, should be pursued through respectful encounter and sincere dialogue, to build a lasting peace, based on justice, fraternity and the common good.”
Trump: The Pope would rather talk about the fact that it's okay for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I don't think that's very good. I think he's endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people pic.twitter.com/PmZXz6sT4k
— FactPost (@factpostnews) May 5, 2026
The pope has also repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and beyond, saying, “We must pray for peace, work for peace and reduce hatred. Hatred is constantly increasing in the world. We must seek to promote dialogue and find solutions.” These statements make it clear that Pope Leo has not expressed support for Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, as Trump claimed.
The Pope has never said this. Trump is lying, as usual. And I am guessing @hughhewitt didn’t challenge him on this demonstrable and dumb lie. https://t.co/NB4vQTzHHg
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 5, 2026
In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly attacked the pope, with his criticism of the pope’s leadership style drawing significant attention. Despite this, the Vatican has remained firm. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, said, “The pope will go ahead on his path, in the sense of preaching the Gospel and peace.” He added that the pope will speak about peace at every opportunity, “convenient and inconvenient.”
Rubio is set to meet with Pope Leo at the Vatican, and the conversation is expected to be a frank one about U.S. policy. However, Trump’s comments have added tension to the situation ahead of the meeting. This comes alongside reports of the Pentagon’s pressure tactics against the Vatican, which have further strained relations between Washington and the Holy See.
According to Reuters, Rubio is also scheduled to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has defended the pope’s stance. Meloni’s defense minister has said that the ongoing conflict puts U.S. leadership at risk.
Trump’s claim that Pope Leo supports Iran going nuclear stands in direct contrast to everything the pope has publicly said. The pope has called for dialogue and diplomacy, an end to the arms race, and a world free from nuclear threats. None of his statements suggests support for Iran having nuclear weapons, making Trump’s characterization of the pope’s position factually inaccurate.
