Donald Trump publicly reacted after Pope Leo XIV met with one of his political critics. The president used social media to question the meeting and criticize the Chicago mayor. The exchange adds another chapter to Trump’s ongoing feud with city leaders in Chicago. It also comes as Pope Leo continues speaking on issues that have occasionally put him at odds with the White House.
Donald Trump calls out Pope Leo on Truth Social
A meeting at the Vatican sparked a fresh political reaction from President Donald Trump. After seeing images of Pope Leo XIV with Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Trump took to Truth Social to voice his displeasure.
“Someone should explain to the Pope that the Mayor of Chicago is useless, and that Iran cannot have a Nuclear Weapon!” Trump wrote in a post that also included photos from Johnson’s visit to Rome. The pictures had originally been shared by the mayor’s team during the trip (via The Daily Beast).
Johnson traveled to the Vatican with a delegation of civic leaders and met Pope Leo on Thursday. During the visit, the Chicago mayor presented several gifts tied to the pope’s hometown. The package reportedly included Cubs and White Sox hats, local honey, and a ceremonial key to the city.
Some of the items appeared to carry a political message as well. Among them were a hat reading “Immigrants Make America Greater,” a sanctuary city pin, letters from families of detained migrants, and a pin connected to an ICE Watch group.
The Vatican meeting comes against the backdrop of a long-running dispute between Trump and Johnson. The president has repeatedly criticized the mayor over immigration enforcement policies in Chicago. Last year, Trump accused Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker of failing to support ICE operations, though he did not provide evidence for some of his claims. Chicago officials have often pushed back publicly. Earlier this year, the city even named one of its snow plows “Abolish ICE” as part of a community naming contest.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
