OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Pope Leo XIV is pushing back against President Trump following a weekend of online attacks.
The American-born pontiff started a 10-day trip to Africa on Monday. He used the visit to respond to the president after Trump criticized the Pope on social media on Sunday. Trump slammed the Pope for his views on immigration and the war in Iran.
"Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran," Trump said.
Pope Leo said he has no fear of the Trump administration and promised to keep promoting peace.
"Too many innocent people are suffering in the world today - too many innocent people are being killed," Pope Leo said.
The Pope went on to say the president does not understand the Gospel.
Omaha Archbishop Responds
Meanwhile, Omaha Archbishop Michael McGovern said he supports Pope Leo. The Archdiocese released a photo of the two meeting last year, along with a statement from McGovern.
"Pope Leo XIV continues to proclaim the Gospel of Christ by upholding human dignity and serving as an advocate for peace. I am deeply grateful for Pope Leo’s example, I pledge to him again my full support, and I encourage your daily prayers for him and for peace," McGovern said.
Criticism Over AI Jesus Image
President Trump is facing criticism for an AI-generated photo he posted online depicting himself as Jesus.
He has since taken down the post, saying he thought it showed him as a doctor.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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