politics
April 13, 2026
Coming Apart at the Seams: Donald Trump Can’t Afford To Alienate America’s Catholics Too
Does Trump really want to force American Catholics to choose between their patriotic loyalty to America and their spiritual loyalty to Rome and to God?
TL;DR
- Pope Leo XIV, the first American Pope, is predicted to clash with President Trump over policy issues.
- Pope Francis previously criticized Trump's immigration policies and the concept of building walls.
- Pope Leo XIV has recently spoken out against the "idolatry of the self" and "delusion of omnipotence" motivating the Iran war, indirectly criticizing Trump.
- Trump responded on Truth Social, calling the Pope "WEAK on Crime" and criticizing his stance on Iran and Venezuela.
- Catholics are a significant voting bloc for Trump, having supported him by a substantial margin in the 2024 election.
- Trump's public criticism of the Pope could jeopardize his support among Catholic voters, especially with midterms approaching.
- There is speculation that Trump's outburst could even influence a Supreme Court decision on birthright citizenship, potentially affecting Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic.