President Donald Trump has said he would be open to speaking with Pope Leo XIV about immigration following signs that the newly elected pontiff holds a critical stance on the administration's policies.
Asked by Fox News' Sean Hannity during an interview on Air Force One on Wednesday whether he would like to talk to the Pope on Immigration, Trump responded:
"Sure. I would. He was really a surprise choice"
Hannity: Would you like to talk to the Pope on immigration?
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 15, 2025
Trump: Sure. I would. He was really a surprise choice. I noticed on CNN they said this had nothing to do with Trump. pic.twitter.com/WvjMxnEivi
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, became the first American elected to lead the Catholic Church. A former missionary who spent much of his career in Peru, Leo has drawn attention for his past social media activity that included sharing content critical of mass deportations and border policies.
In February, he reposted a critique of Vice President JD Vance's use of "ordo amoris" to justify stricter immigration priorities, and in April, he shared a message from Bishop Evelio Menjivar criticizing Trump's and El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's deportation policies and asking: "Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed?"
As Trump & Bukele use Oval to 🤣 Feds’ illicit deportation of a US resident (https://t.co/t80iDMbBKf), once an undoc-ed Salvadorean himself, now-DC Aux +Evelio asks, “Do you not see the suffering? Is your conscience not disturbed? How can you stay quiet?” https://t.co/jTradMfr0v
— Rocco Palmo (@roccopalmo) April 14, 2025
Furthermore, the Pope's brother, John Prevost, told The New York Times that Leo is "not happy with what's going on with immigration" and suggested the new pontiff is unlikely to remain silent. "I don't think he'll stay quiet for too long if he has something to say," he said. He doubled down during another interview with ABC News, he added, "I think a big thing for him is immigration and is it right—what's going on? I think he'll say something about it."
After Leo's election, Trump posted on Truth Social: "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope... What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"
Not all responses to Leo's election have been positive in Trump's political circle, however. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon described Leo before becoming Pople as "one of the most progressive" candidates and a "dark horse" who is "definitely on the short list" of Pope Francis' ideological successors. Bannon warned that another progressive papacy could deepen divisions within the Church, suggesting it could lead to a schism.
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