Donald Trump Claims Pope Leo XIV Backed Iran Nukes, Says ‘I Have a Right to Disagree’

Donald Trump is refusing to let his ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV die down. He has now alleged that the pope said that “Iran can have a nuclear weapon.” This comes amid an already intense rivalry.

According to the Irish Star, Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House on April 16, 2026, where he said he does not dislike the Pope and remarked, “I have to do what's right."

He also reminded everyone about his support for the pope’s brother, Louis. He said, “I have nothing against the pope; his brother is MAGA all the way, I like this brother Louis.”

The president said he disagrees with the pope, as he does not wish for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. He said, “I'm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement, he says Iran can have a nuclear weapon, I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. I can disagree with the pope; I have a right to disagree with the pope."

Reportedly, the the religious leader has repeatedly spoken out against the ongoing war but has not supported nuclear weapons.

Trump’s statement came hours after the Pope issued a chilling statement where he said that the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants." However, he refrained from mentioning the POTUS or any other politician.

During his speech on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, the Pope said, “Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.”

He added, “They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education, and restoration are nowhere to be found. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it is held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters."

Not only Donald Trump but also other members of his administration have locked horns with the religious leader because of his negative reaction to the war.

JD Vance, who happens to be a Catholic convert, took a dig at the American-born pontiff and said that he needs to “stick to matters of morality."

Addressing a crowd at the Turning Point USA event, which took place at the University of Georgia, Vance said, “When the Pope says that God is never on the side of people who wield the sword, there is more than a 1,000-year tradition of just war theory .”

However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops came out in support of Pope Leo XIV and issued a statement where they claimed that the Vice President had misstated the Pope’s position.

The conference revealed in a statement on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, “For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church has taught just war theory, and it is that long tradition the Holy Father carefully references in his comments on war.

When Pope Leo XIV speaks as supreme pastor of the universal Church, he is not merely offering opinions on theology; he is preaching the Gospel and exercising his ministry as the Vicar of Christ.”