President Donald Trump on Wednesday renewed his criticism of Pope Leo XIV, urging the pontiff via social media to recognize that Iran has killed at least 42,000 unarmed protesters in recent months and that Tehran must not obtain a nuclear weapon.
The message, posted on Truth Social late Tuesday night, came days after Trump accused the first American-born pope of being weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy, highlighting ongoing tension between the president and the Vatican amid the U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran.
In the post, Trump wrote: "Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter. AMERICA IS BACK!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
The statement echoes Trump's long-standing stance against Iranian nuclear ambitions.
Independent estimates of deaths in Iran's 2025-2026 protest crackdown have ranged from about 6,500 verified cases to as high as 36,500, with some reports citing higher unverified figures.
Pope Leo XIV has repeatedly called for an end to the fighting in Iran, describing the violence as the "madness of war" and urging world leaders to seek peace and an off-ramp to negotiations.
He has condemned threats against civilians and said attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.
Trump's earlier April 13 post on Truth Social leveled broader attacks, writng in the post that Pope Leo is "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" and claiming the church selected him partly because of his American background to handle relations with the Trump administration.
Trump also said he did not want a pope who thinks it is acceptable for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
The exchange has drawn attention on social media and in news coverage, but had not prompted a direct Vatican response to Wednesday's message as of mid-morning.
Catholic leaders and some lawmakers previously criticized Trump's remarks as disrespectful.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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