Trump renews attacks on Pope Leo just days before Rubio’s Vatican trip

The US president said the pontiff was helping Iran, in comments that could complicate his secretary of state’s fence-mending trip

US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make this week to the Vatican.

In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the first American-born pontiff is helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect.

“The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in the interview on Monday. “And I don’t think that’s very good. I think he’s endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.”

The pope, however, has not said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons. He has called for more peace talks, and criticised war with Iran generally and Trump’s specific threats of mass civilian strikes.

The pope also has emphasised that he is reflecting biblical and church teachings, not speaking as a political rival to Trump.

Leo responded to Trump’s latest criticism by calling out the US president’s misrepresentation of his views. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the pope said the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there”.