President Donald Trump publicly criticized Pope Leo XIV on Saturday following a meeting between the pontiff and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in Rome.
Trump directed his remarks at both the pope and the Democratic mayor, suggesting the Vatican should have intervened before the meeting took place.
Trump described Mayor Johnson as “useless,” arguing that Vatican advisers should have warned the pope against agreeing to the meeting.
The president’s comments came after Johnson traveled to Rome and secured a face-to-face meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
Trump suggested that someone within the Vatican’s inner circle bore responsibility for allowing the meeting to proceed without pushing back.
The president’s remarks were pointed and direct, making clear his low opinion of the Chicago mayor’s standing on the national and international stage.
Trump’s criticism linked Johnson’s visit to broader concerns the president has raised previously, referencing Iran in the same statement.
“Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran…” Trump wrote, according to the article, with the full statement extending further.
The meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Mayor Johnson drew significant attention given the current political tensions surrounding the Catholic Church’s relationship with American political figures.
Trump’s decision to publicly call out the pope marked a notable moment, given the diplomatic sensitivity typically associated with the Vatican and the Catholic Church.
The White House has not issued any formal statement separate from Trump’s remarks, and there was no immediate response from the Vatican regarding the president’s comments.
Mayor Johnson’s office had not issued a public reply at the time the remarks were reported, leaving the political back-and-forth largely one-sided as of Saturday.