Trump accuses pope of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with Iran war stance

The Hill reports that President Trump accused Pope Leo XIV of endangering Catholics by allegedly condoning Iran's nuclear weapons development, made during an interview with Hugh Hewitt. The article provides a direct quote from Trump but lacks substantive detail on the Pope's actual stated position on Iran policy, what prompted the renewed criticism, or context about the Vatican's official stance—the description cuts off mid-quote, limiting depth. Independent coverage from NBC News, The Independent, and The Washington Post corroborates that Trump made these comments and adds context that Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with the Pope this week, suggesting diplomatic tensions the administration is attempting to address. The framing of Trump's remarks as "reignited attacks" and "going to war" suggests editorial coloring, though the core fact—that Trump made critical comments about the Pope's Iran position—is corroborated across multiple outlets. Watch for Rubio's Vatican meeting this week and any official Vatican response to Trump's accusations, which could clarify whether Trump is characterizing the Pope's position accurately.