Vance Pushes Back Against Pope's Criticism Of Iran War As Trump Takes Dig

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President Donald Trump took another swipe at Pope Leo XIV late on Tuesday night, after Vice President JD Vance—who is a Catholic—expressed disagreement with the Pope's criticism of America's war with Iran, highlighting a growing feud between the White House and the Vatican.

Why it matters

The ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the Iran war reflect a broader divide between conservative and progressive Catholic voices on issues of foreign policy and the use of military force.

The details

In a Truth Social Post just before midnight, Trump wrote, 'Will someone please tell Pope Leo' about the Iranian regime's killing of thousands of unarmed protestors in the past two months. The president then reiterated that the Pope should know that Iran having a nuclear bomb was 'absolutely unacceptable' to him. This is the second time Trump has publicly lashed out at the leader of the Roman Catholic Church this week in response to the Pope emerging as one of the most vocal critics of his war with Iran. The vice president, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, also pushed back against the Pope's recent criticism of the Trump administration and the Iran war on Tuesday. Speaking at the conservative group Turning Point USA's event in Phoenix, Vance said, 'How can you say that God was never on the side of those who wield the sword?' before he gave the example of U.S. military involvement in liberating Europe from the Nazis in the Second World War. The vice president then added, 'There are certainly things the pope has said I disagree with.' Vance said he is open to disagreements on whether the Iran War is just, but added: 'In the same way, it is important for the vice president of the United States to be careful when I talk about matters of public policy. I think it's very, very important for the pope to be careful when he talks about matters of theology.' The vice president then added: 'if you're going to opine on matters of theology…you've got to make sure it's anchored in the truth,' without specifying if he believes the Pope's remarks were not anchored in truth.

• On Tuesday night, Trump posted on Truth Social criticizing the Pope's stance on the Iran war.
• Earlier this week, Trump had publicly lashed out at the Pope over his criticism of the Iran war.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The ongoing feud between the Trump administration and the Vatican over the Iran war is likely to continue, with both sides doubling down on their respective positions and engaging in further public exchanges.