U.S. President Donald Trump late on Sunday (April 12) criticized Pope Leo, accusing him of being weak on crime and denouncing his stance on nuclear weapons.

"I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo," Trump told reporters on the tarmac after landing at Joint Base Andrews. "We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's okay to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don't like it."

Earlier Trump also criticized Pope Leo in a post on his Truth Social account, saying he was "weak" on crime and "terrible" for foreign policy.

Pope Leo, known for his measured rhetoric, has drawn international attention as a vocal critic of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28.

Earlier this month, the pontiff described Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization as "unacceptable" and urged "deep reflection" on the treatment of migrants under the Trump administration.

The remarks underscore ongoing tensions between the president and the pope, who have clashed over issues ranging from immigration to foreign policy.

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VIDEO SHOWS: U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP LANDING AT JOINT BASE ANDREWS / SOUNDBITES FROM TRUMP

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES (APRIL 12, 2026) (U.S. NETWORK POOL - No use USA)

1. U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP DISEMBARKING AIR FORCE ONE

2. TRUMP SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON TARMAC

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

(REPORTER ASKING OFF-CAMERA: “Mr. President, why did you attack Pope Leo on Truth Social?”)

“I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. He hit us… Think of it... He's worried about fear. What about the fear when the ministers and the priests and all of those great people that were arrested during COVID, and in many cases, they're outside, 10 feet apart, and they were arrested?”

4. TRUMP SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON TARMAC

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's okay to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo. He's a very liberal person, and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime.”

6. TRUMP SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON TARMAC

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, SAYING:

“He's a man that doesn't think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world. I'm not a fan of Pope Leo.”

8. TRUMP SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS

9. TRUMP THANKING REPORTERS, WALKING AWAY

10. TRUMP BOARDING MARINE ONE